Blood Ballade 4: Redemption
by Shoysrock
Summary: Anne Van Helsing and her fledgling Carleton hunt vampires in Chicago, away from Dracula. But he hasn't had enough of her yet. The fourth book in my B.B. series. Please, enjoy sizzling hot scenes of D/Anne! M for sexual themes, violence and language.


Hello all!

Here it is, the last Blood Ballade. sniff Sorry for you to find it in the M section, but the content had placed it there. I would like to dedicate this to VERY good Van Helsing fan fiction writer Remember, and great friend and writer Gabrielsangel. Alrighty, and if I get lots of yummy reviews, I might make a mini series. That's a good idea! Enjoy my best book!

Redemption

That is the end so far.

These days I am strong, and bitter they say, but I am not. The vampires flee now at my holy sword only I can touch. But they see a demon wielding it.

The initiation of becoming undead, the acceptance that I am undead, the exception of why I am undead, and now, I think, redemption for being undead.

I have become bitter, my actions cold as I realize that I, a Helsing, must do their duty to fight evil, if even not under the Vatican's watchful eye. His friend's descendant, Carleton, is with me now, a fledgling vampire I willingly killed because it was the only way he could be saved, and he loved me. My only love I have left for anything is hid under my shadow for Carl. He is weak, and only a 30 year old vampire. He hunts with me any evil vampire we come across in our travels of the world. I am hardened to fear and pain, for I am what I am, Nosferatu. The holy sword I use can only be used by me, for it seems that I am a reincarnation of a woman saint. I believe it more then ever, for why else cannot vampires touch crosses, and am brought back from the dead? For I truly believe now that we are Satan's spawn. That fate I have, however, has not hindered my belief in God.

I have become very much of darkness. I used to be a woman vampire, a person to the eye who walked and talked like she used to as a human. But it has been 100 years, and now my blonde hair is hid in the dark, my movements smooth, my form supple and cloak of the shadows. I am an old vampire, experienced, and cold, except I keep a little love for my partner. I see myself with my eyes golden, with dark eye shadow and drooped lids in a permanent glare of knowing and a pale scowl of who cares and death. For I must help humanity, my only drives are this purpose for revenge against my life, against evil, against pain. I also live for Carl, who walks like he used too, and convinced me to hunt, for I didn't care. I was changed and disturbed, and I think I am on the brink of utter unearthly vampire insanity.

There were three fates for a vampire over 100, I learned with the Order of the Dragon. One was that you could embrace fully the powers and succumb to animalistic insanity, blood thirst and cunning, your form and body warped and curled and partially in the other dimension of the dead, and a main trait of an insane vampire is the evil eye, augmented and hypnotic, that they possess as they slowly leave the material world and into the oblivion of another realm. But they are rare, and very deadly. All good vampires fear them.

Another was that you realized that you are powerful, and learn to use it for evil ways, like Count Dracula had done. To be a truly cunning and wise ruler of evil, embracing the other side of humanity to rule them. That, is a goal the evil vampires hope to aspire, and what I try to stop. The last is that goal that no one knows about, for the ones that reach that goal are not known to the world. That goal is to live happily, at peace, alone or with a lover, for a very long time, a happily ever after. I think not many, even at all, have achieved that almost perfect life after death.

I had hoped to live like that, but now I know for sure that I cannot. I am not made for that, for if I tried it would be shattered by Dracula's ever looming presence. No, I must fight, and if I see Dracula ever again, I will kill him, for over the years I have been changed, and the pity I gave him I wished I never had gave it. I should have killed him, and my pain and suffering would have ended. But he lived, and is waiting for the chance to strike out and do what he wanted to do with me. He said it himself, he lusts after me, and each time he advances I weaken. But this time I am ready for him, this time I will be strong, and embrace my destiny, whatever God planned for me.

I said all my life to this point so far. The expanse of clouds and skyscrapers in Chicago has made me look back on my life. Yes, that is it so far, except for mentions of vampires I have stabbed with Carl, nothing important that happened. Yes, I am twisted and no longer happy with my life. This is the fate I have not decided, but only what my life has led me. I have tried to live happy, but I can't with Count Dracula still at large.

I seem to like this age. The clothing is more global and expressive then ever. But if I am to feast, to walk with men, then I dress like them. So far, this year 2007 seems different, and food is much easier to get since World War II. The humans are falling, and especially the American cities have lots of weak, crime minded people, so we feed with dignity cleaning up the society. War is all around in the world, and so I have seen more and more vampires made, and they thrive on the pestilence in the entire world. At least we both are slowing the population down of their numbers.

I am a vampire, exterminator of my kind, hunted by my enemy, and alone except for the only other I can safely confine in my secrets. And even then, I live with the shame that I made him exist that way, to share my pain, to make him see what happens when you live for hundreds of years. He was like I was, cheery and trying to stay happy, but he sees me, a shell of human personality, of harsh temper and a grudge on life. I have been denied it for years. That night 32 years ago changed for ever my outlook on life.

The dawn is approaching, and I need my rest.

As my false lover once said, bats truly can be your best friends.



"Anne, dawn is rising." Carl's familiar hand was on my shoulder. The night was warming, and true, the hints of the sun was streaking across the city sky.

"So it is Carl." I answered, and turned to see him under his Beatle-style hair, whipping around in the breeze. He had a black over coat, his twirling blades concealed underneath, and his white pale face with stark green eyes a flash against his all black form. I didn't pity him that he was more human then I was. I held his hand and we walked down the abandoned building stairs to our coffins.

Earlier we had our food, of two stray cats, and I spent this evening looking at the stars, recounting my life, while Carl was cat hunting for tomorrow's dinner. We had entertainment, a library we snuck into after hours, the night clubs where once a week we picked our victims, the river where we sometimes went swimming in, and of course if we saw a cruel vampire, set out for a hunt to kill it. That was what we could do, and do it we did.

We shared a large coffin to save space when we wandered, by stuffing it in the truck we had, only using it for moving on to the next city. We were in Chicago for a little bit because it was on the way, and home to undoubtedly vampires.

The ware house we lived in now was filled with dusty old boxes and other items. It had rats, but they avoided us. An old building provided privacy away from humans. Here I was at peace.

Dawn was shining through the broken windows. We took our over coats off, and we both slid into our coffin, holding each other as we were drifting off to sleep.

"Anne?" Carl asked.

"Yes, my love?"

"You don't seem, well, happy anymore. You and I truly love each other, and somehow I know this from some kind of connection between us, as I was made by you. But I liked the old you, when you and I first met, smiling and cheerful, and even though you were a vampire, still you were kind. Now, for the past years, you seem cold and, well, older, though we still look in our 18's."

"Carl, I did some to myself when I made you what you are. Dracula made me, and I made you. I gave you a curse, a curse that you seem to be taking well, because you see me the older and more experienced person teach you. Though you are younger, I love you and care for you." I hugged him closer. "I am a vampire, and over time I have lost my humanity. My love is now expressed in other ways."

"It just seems, well, unnatural, the way you have changed, how wise and grim you are. I am afraid, I think, to become like you, for you are the only good vampire I know. And you made me; who knows what changes I could have? Is this ageing a good thing?"

"When you age in your immortality, it seems you understand the world better. At a price of this knowledge and power, we must never touch the good, or see the light without dying, and feed off the living. Most of us think otherwise, seeing it a gift to do evil, and few, like us, to be cursed. But we can use it to do well, and if there is a God, then he might forgive us and let us see the light again. When we are truly dead, of course. But we are cursed, forever until stake or other." I closed his eye lids and started to drift away into slumber. "I am older then you. I have seen death, pain and suffering, my own even many a time, and no more secrets then you do. But we must live as best we can, with Dracula around and more."

Our breathing slowed, and we slept through the day. The rumbling of the bustling city traffic hardly was heard in our coffin, safe from evil this time.



The slums were my favorite spot for food. Cats, dogs, and pigeons abounded. Carl and I had a nice time watching a movie with a stolen TV and DVD we hooked up in the warehouse. We were going to catch dinner, and have a nice evening with some movies we found at the video rental place. He picked them out. It was only recently I found how much I liked moving pictures. They were only just being invented in the Americas when I was living. Carl said he had some surprises in store. I was to find dinner.

Aha, my prey. Or was it? It was a dog, a very deep red one, and a quick whiff, realized what it was. Luckily I had my silver sword, for it looked right at me. It was a female werewolf.

I stood my ground at the wolf eared woman, with strong muscles, deep red fur, and a long supple tail. She had a scar of three scratches on her forehead and numerous other ritual markings on her body. She had ear piercings, bracelets and face paint, and black feathers in numerous places on her fur. She had a luxurious mane, and in human form she would have had long hair. She also wore an ornamented large bra and skirt, red and black. But it was a full moon. We stood staring, a beautiful Shew werewolf and a black dressed, black hat blonde vampire with a sword ready to be drawn.

She leaped at me, but I was ready. I nimbly moved out of the way, my sword slicing part of her tail off. She yelped and scratched my legs, but they were healing. Not enough to stop most of the pain. I backed into the street light where she was, ready to fly away. Werewolves were not my specialty. But thankfully she did not attack. The moon was obscured by the moving cloud cover, and I watched her transform.

She seemed to be used to it, standing with a look of controlled pain as the fur was falling off of her. She hardly flinched. Now she was looking at me with a dignified expression on her face.

"I, alpha female Shew of the Blood Moon clan come bearing you a message." She licked her lips, her red locks falling over her face. "Anne Van Helsing, you are wanted by our clan's employer. In two nights we expect your answer." Her eyes were a sickening yellow as they narrowed. Werewolves and vampires were natural enemies.

"And where will I meet you, werewolf? In our sleep with the curtains drawn away, so you may watch me burn?" I answered, my sword pointing menacingly at her.

"We will meet at our werewolf festival, and from there you will be escorted by our employer to a dance hall for, well, your despicable kind." Typical of Count Dracula, I thought.

"Do not worry; I will give you an answer in two night's time." An answer they will never forget. I will be ready for them, oh yes.

I almost forgot! "May I ask who specifically who your employer is?"

"Ah, little vampiress, just an old friend of yours. With a lot of food and money to give for our little involvement with you." With that she smiled and transformed. Writhing on her knees, she went back into a werewolf, and leaped up to the top of the building, leaping away into the night.

So, Count Dracula was using a werewolf clan to make sure I go with him to a dance. Just what I needed, Werewolves and Dracula. After tonight I will have to leave Chicago. Anything to get away from him.

As I walked down the street, I felt like I was being watched. I thought I sensed a presence around me that I hadn't felt for a long time. The same thought kept on going in my head, of a pair of green eyes, old and deep, watching me with an attitude of adoration. They were not Dracula's, nor were they the same green of Carl's. I thought I had seen them before.

I quickened my pace till I reached our home, without first stopping to pick up a cat crossing the street. I locked the door, for the first time in years I am afraid. Thank God that Carl put his hand on my shoulder and I was quieted. I turned around to look at him, his light green eyes replacing the deep ones that were watching me in my mind. I let myself act like I used to, childlike frightened. I fell into his arms, keeping him close.

"Carl, oh Carl. A female werewolf from a clan around here has given me a message. A message that in 2 nights I am to go with the clan to the clan's place and from there on to a dance with an old friend, she said. I think its Dracula!" Crying into his shoulder, I let myself cry the tears for so long I hid behind my eyes. Since I last saw Dracula, I vowed to get tougher. But now I let myself. It felt so good to get it out of my system. I cried for a long time it seemed, as Carl patted me and whispered 'its going to be okay' and other things I don't care about. Looking up from my hug, we were on the couch, and I let go, stopping myself from crying.

"We have to think this through logically. We…could leave the city as soon as possible, get very far away. But they might chase us." I bravely said those words, trying to rid myself again of doubt and surrender. But I didn't feel that. I felt very afraid.

We can't tonight. It's too late, and we have two days. You need to relax." He started comforting me again. I must not think about what the werewolf told me, not today.

"Yes, Carl, relax." I took a deep breath, and my nerves were calmed, and no more did I think about it. Instead, I changed the subject. "What are we watching to night, Carl?"

"I found this movie, of Dracula. It was made in the 1930's, about Dracula. I don't think we should watch it now…"

"No, anything to get my mind off this. Let's watch the movie and eat."

So Carl popped it in and played the DVD.

It was a strange interpretation of what Dracula really was. Bele Lugossi played him as an aristocratic, noble count with a tux and cape, and trimmed, short black hair. He was a scary man, but didn't look like him. I watched the superb acting, but he acted a bit like Dracula. Though Dracula really looked more human, and was a bit crazy I thought, but he lived for hundreds of years. This Dracula I thought would be much better then the real Dracula. He was at least much wiser then Vladislaus. If only the world knew that count Dracula really was a vampire, really was out there to kill people, but they don't, and only know him in fiction. Oh, the world has missed a lot. They have the facts, but the humans won't listen to them. Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts really do exist.

At the end of the movie, I was a bit shocked at it all. He claimed Lucy, and Mina Harker was next. How she was controlled to get rid of the crosses and garlic around her, and let Dracula come to suck her blood. But she was saved by Professor Van Helsing, who acted hardly like him, and Jonathan Harker, who helped save his fiancé's life. Rienfield was the closest to reality. I wonder what became of him. He should be dead by now. I hope so.

Instead, he was a werewolf who just landed in front of us. A mangy gray werewolf, hunched, big eyed, tongue lolling out crazily, and a violent insane expression on his face, it was no doubt Rienfield. He looked old, ready to harm us.

Carl and I split off into different directions, surprised as ever that he was alive. Rienfield then was waddling around, rickety and old, a werewolf on his last legs. But he didn't attack. Instead, he transformed back, back screamingly into his form, with the same ragged Nazi pants on as I last saw him. He stood up, with white hair, and blood shot eyes and his knife in his belt. He was weathered and wrinkled, and looked at us with a smart expression.

"Master must find grave. Master will reward Rienfield! Master will give flies, and cure!" He said, gleefully and madly looking at me. I was inching closer with my sword to kill him, and Carl with his silver bullets. "Master must know where bride is! Master must take bride! And kill the spare!" He then transformed back, retchingly giving his vile, blood curdling laugh, turning it into a howl as he lunged at Carl. But Carl was ready for him. The bullet hit him, but his aim was messed up as Rienfield pummeled him to the ground before whimpering and running out of the ware house. Carl was motionless, the gun still smoking in his hand, as I watched Rienfield run out of the broken window and into the moonlight. I went over to Carl, where 3 claw marks were on his bleeding face. Otherwise, he murmured and opened his eyes, to behold me over him, holding him in my arms. He was not bitten, thankfully.

"Anne, I'm all right." He said, and started to stand up. I helped him, pulling out a handkerchief from my pocket.

"Here, I'll bandage it up." Werewolf wounds were slow to heal, like silver. At least, they didn't leave scars unlike silver. We both walked over to the couch, where upon I placed it around to stop the bleeding. While he held it there, I searched around to find some of my thread to stitch it up.

"Carl, please lay down, it might hurt a bit with the stitching." I said, laying him back. I leaned over him, starting to sew the scratches up. He was twitching a bit.

"Who was that werewolf guy?" He said.

"That was Dracula's servant, Rienfield, but he was supposed to be dead from old age. Somehow, as a werewolf, his age has been extended, as all werewolves are. It looks like he will die soon, anyways. He was a spy for Dracula, like he said." I sighed, still stitching.

"He sent a werewolf already to give you the message. I guess Rienfield the werewolf was sent to find our hideout. We have limited time." The stitching stopped as Carl said this, the wounds sewed, and I prepared to stand up, when my palm with Dracula's mark started tingling, very strongly and slowly crawling up my arm. I froze, looked at my red glowing scar, and then looked up at the figure of the man I most hate.

Count Dracula was in the shadows, cloaked and tall, dark and only his outline visible, and his horrible blue eyes. He had a smirk, and stood above us on the metal stairs and boxes of old toasters. Carl and I stared at him, looking at him leaning on the rail over us, looking at me with a wanting expression. Before I could say anything, he walked away, and was quickly gone, laughing away with a deep chuckle that resonated throughout the warehouse. The tingling stopped, and my hand was back to normal.

It was enough to make me sick. I fell on the couch next to Carl, holding him. I stopped myself from crying in his shoulder, and trembled. I am deathly afraid again. I will not act this way, I will not be weak! I pushed him away, and got up and started pacing the floor. Carl just looked at me with a look of concern. Yes, he should be, for I was in danger and so was he, since Rienfield said kill the spare.

"We must leave as soon as possible. It is dawn very soon, and tomorrow night we immediately leave. They may try to follow us though. We got to get out of here fast." I stopped, and looked at him, tears welling in my eyes. I sniffed, and stood up straighter. "Well, time to pack before we rest! And keep a look out for anyone entering, okay?" Trying to keep calm, I went over to my trunk and opened it, going around the place stuffing our little stuff we have into it. Like Carl always did, he let me be in this type of temper to steam off, and after we were packed I sat on the coffin. Looking at him, I saw how weak, how human he looked, how innocently he sat there. Just like I did when I was a fledgling, back 60 or so years, considered freshly turned, still clinging on to the last vestiges of humanity left in the body. But I was past that now, hopefully, for his presence reminded me always, of emotion and pain, of joy and suffering. Yes, I was not alone, but he was stuck to me, loving me like a puppy to its owner, for in a sense I was his owner. But it would be his choice if he wanted to be mine forever. But we loved each other, and so it seemed that so I did own him as a lover.

I got up and took my hat off, the fresh smell of morning around us. Carl and I got into the coffin, holding each other close and we slept, not another word between us about the busy events of the night.



The feeling of death was around me. I could not hear the people, only the roar of flames as my flesh was burning, pain in my body, and I could only keep clenched my mouth to try not to scream, to not show my enemies my weakness. But I couldn't.

My life was flashing before my eyes, my cause hopeless, and death apparent. As my body burned, I could only scream and convulse from the tight ropes, the only thing in my mind now was pain, fire, and the cross. Oh, God, and Jesus Christ, our father, I hope I have done well on earth, enough to see you, Lord, in heaven, and maybe a place beside you.

The smoke now was clouding my eyes, and as I struggled to breathe the smoke entered. I felt my vision cloud, my body suffocating, and now I could not breathe. My choking screams were being silenced as I saw the steeple of the church, and the metal cross on the top. I saw a dove, a white dove, a beautiful one who looked at me, and stayed. I closed my eyes, and let darkness take me. I was exhausted, and I fainted. I was dying very quickly.



The twilight had descended, and I awoke renewed with a deathly vigor from my nightmare. I was sweating, and Carl placed his hand on my shoulder to quell my trembling. Hugging him harder, and wiping the sweat from my brow, I said "Good evening, Carl."

"Good evening. A nightmare again?" He asked. Pleasantly enough, I nodded. I did not want to discuss it at all.

I felt for the edge of the lid, and creaked it open. I got up first, looking around first, to find that everything was all right. Hopping out, I put my hat on and nervously looked around; walking to and fro our living space to find everything was all right. Carl got up, and I was heading out to find breakfast before we quietly packed up and left.

It was a few minutes as we hauled our coffin into the back of the pick-up truck, and we were heading out fully armed to find food, and then drive away as fast as we could. Carl, with his black over coat, black short straight hair, a stake in the other hand and a light metal gun with silver bullets. I had my sword and stakes ready to be pulled out from my cloak.

We were just about to head out, when I heard foot steps. Vampire foot steps, lots of them from one direction, and a few others around the place. I was about to hide when I saw Venom walking by the boxes, daggers in hand.

"Venom! Is it really you?" I said slyly and playfully, leaping out in front of her, where my sword swiped out to block the two dagger strikes she stabbed out in surprise. Then she looked at me, pulled them back, and smiled.

"Anne! How are you?" Venom had changed a bit; she looked a bit older, taller, and darker. But she was still hopefully the same old Venom. She spat out her cigarette, and I lowered my weapon to give her a hug. It was a cold hearted hug, as we both were older and somehow our emotions for each other were linked through us, not showing through our undead shells.

"I'm fine, or I was. I was given an invitation to a dance by a werewolf, and then Rienfield the werewolf appeared to find were we live. And then, Dracula appeared and disappeared." We stopped our embrace, and looked at each other. "What brings you and the order here?"

"Oh, nothing much. Except that Violet is the leader of the order and is insane. She has combined the three divisions and has been on a mad hunt for you!" She scratched her neck, and looked very worried. "Brimstone and I managed to escape, the rest of course have joined her. We came to look for you before she got you, and now it appears that Dracula wants you also."

I started to say something, but I was interrupted by a scuffle of Brimstone's shouts, gun shots, and then Brimstone's laugh and Carl's apparent scream. We both quickly ran to the other side to find Carl and Brimstone.

Carl was pinned against the stone wall, defenseless and looking a bit surprised, as the gun barrel of Brimstone's bazooka on his chest that was ready to shoot a silver grenade into his heart. Brimstone was sternly and more darkly dressed, bowler hat and cigar darker, but still his same old expression, with a few added scars.

"Alright, little vampire, who's ya master? What have ya done with Anne?" He was ready to kill Carl.

"Brimstone! Don't hurt him! He's with me!" I said, pushing his weapon done. His stern expression was replaced with joy, placing the weapon on his shoulder and giving me a great hug. Damn, it hurt. He was bigger, but not much older in undeadness.

"Ah, Anne, I have missed ya so much!" He said, crushing me even further. "With Violet and all, we knew you were around here from her, and sow we ter went to find ye and get ya away fram here." He thankfully let go, and looked at Carl, staring at us. "Who's he?"

"Brimstone, I would like you to meet Carleton Jack, my lover." Carl proceeded to straighten his jacket and wipe his brow. "Carl, meet Brimstone and Venom. They were from the Order of the Dragon, but they left to warn me of one of the leaders." Brimstone and Carl eyed each other, refusing to shake hands. "I told you about Violet, remember Carl? She has taken over and, well, wants to kill me."

"Okay, but keep, your friend Brimstone away from me." Carl said.

"Well, now we know that we vampires are okay, I think we should leave this place." Venom said, lighting another cigarette. "You packed?"

"Yes, we were about to leave when you came. Any idea where we should go? Dracula's spies I know are watching this place."

"What? Oh, damn, you're right. Dracula was here. Well, I have a map, and mind if we stop at a cemetery after we leave Chicago? I downloaded a map from the Order's computers of available burial grounds. We would need a cemetery for all of us." We started walking towards our black truck we parked inside. Carl was well away from the hulking form of Brimstone.

"Ya, Anne. We couldn't brang ah' coffins. When wa' da invation?" Brimstone said through his cigar.

"Yesterday. The werewolves will come for me tomorrow. We have little time. Brimstone, you're going to have to be in the loader with the coffin. Be ready to pull out your big gun. We need to leave as soon as possible.

"Gotcha Anne." And Venom got into the back seat. I was driving, seeing that I didn't have a gun or flying daggers and I knew the streets more. Carl could go out the window and fire off his gun, and he read the maps. Venom, with a load of daggers could stand out the sun roof and fling away. And Brimstone has his bazooka. We were somewhat prepared to defend ourselves if necessary.

I opened the garage door very quietly, to look out of the alley. Nothing seemed amiss. Silently, we knew what to do. I drove the truck out, quietly and ready to bolt at a fast speed. We were slowly turning the bend, and a few blocks away was a main road that we would take through the general public out of the city, away from the state. We were sweating, hoping they had not found us yet.

I was turning the car on the little used street when I knew something was wrong. I sense the vampires in the car, but their were more, everywhere and lots of silver! And I see them leaping on the car! I accelerated as fast as I could go, going down the block to the road I dimly saw ahead, several blocks away. The car rumbled at each blast of the bazooka, and then the window was showered with bullets and stakes. Carl and I were screaming, silver everywhere, and some of them struck home, in my arms and shoulder, thankfully not my heart. But I kept on driving, Carl shooting his gun as vampires leaped at the car door, shooting some and daggers were in them from Venom. I was wounded, bleeding from the silver, and had a hard time concentrating on the road. But I didn't need to as a building collapsed a little ways in front of us!

I swerved and braked the car, just as we were about to hit the rubble. Our way was blocked, and at least the bullet wave stopped. This time, only vampires attacked, ripping the doors open, getting shot and stabbed at. Drawing my sword, I stabbed at them, managing to hop out as the vampires retreated. The attack ceased. We were allowed to step out of the car, and I glanced to see Brimstone with his bazooka aimed bleeding, clutching his ear, while Venom was triumphantly ready to leap out of the car to strike, very angry. Carl was silently, tiredly reloading his bullets. I had my sword, my right arm in writhing pain, only made me angrier, and around us was some piles of dust from heart stuck vampires, and other vampires who we struck who were slowly amassing into the crowd around us. Male and female, large and small, even a child one I saw that was from the Ravenous. It was silent as we were still.

Then, they all drew out their weapons, lots of guns, maces, a few whips, and machetes, pointing at me. We had hardly a hope to survive if they descended upon us, and I knew we were ready to die fighting. It was then from the crowd, the familiar form of the sweeping long haired vampire, Violet. She slowly pulled out her silver, long scythe, her head slowly rising up to reveal a sick looking humongous, deep purple eye, staring at me as her weapon was raised to eye level. I, I couldn't move, so mortified I am. The eye was so hideously evil, an evil eye I knew belonged to only the truly, mad, insane vampires. Over the years, and now, Violet was prepared to kill me. I never realized how old Violet was, how experienced she became to become a monster. I started backing away, till I could go no farther at the car door, and fear was creeping in my heart like never before, through my eyes as I looked into her eye, that horrible eye, thoughts of evil, death, pain and suffering were clouding my mind, and I could only slowly curl up on the ground against the car in disappear, and I felt my face in a look of horror on my face. She still stood, and pain sorrow lessened, whereupon she spoke.

"It is I, Anne Van Helsing. How I have hated thee, how I have despised you in way unimagined. For, my dearest, you are one of Count Dracula's brides. A stealer of his affections, and his most favorite, besides me at one point." I was confused, for Violet was one of his brides? "Yes, my 'friend', my partner bride, for  
I was his first love in the undead, and you have learned his first bride's name."

It couldn't be. Not her, not the bloody countess of Winchester!

"I am the Countess Lady Carmilla, the once queen of the undead, Anne, until he spurned me for my bloodlust. He left me to build my own empire, and ever since I have killed most of his brides, one way or another. And now, Anne, as leader of a vampire organization, I can regain my lost power and kill his beloved." The sorrow exploded in my mind, and I couldn't move, save for my hand struggling to move my sword up, to perhaps a last ditch attempt to protect myself, as she advanced, and I was readying myself to die. Here was a chance I could end my tortured existence, to finally be at peace. I had nothing to lose, and if she could kill me then she would most certainly kill my beloved Carl, and my friends also for treason. I wished to close my eyes for the death blow, but I couldn't, her unmerciful eye making them stay open as she raised her weapon up for the kill. All my eyes could see was her deep eye, turning red. My will was hers, my mind only of her jealousy and rage against my position. Yes, my other deep thoughts were, I will die.

The pain stopped, her eye faltering, and I saw her face in terror. Her weapon swished not to kill, but rose in defense against a vampire form, with a brown cloak and a recognizable brown tuxedo. The sorrow had left me, and I struggled to get up, telling myself not to give up, not to be weak. I stood up to see werewolves all around, attacking the vampires, and bullets were in the air. I blinked hesitantly, to shake the last feelings of the evil eye from me, to see the brown cloaked form attacking the hissing form of Carmilla. It was then a vampire male descended upon me, and I with my wounded weak arm slashed at him as he tried to strike with a club. We were fighting, my defensive blows getting weaker as the Draconist beat down harder, and with the other hand pulling out a stake.

Then a red claw slashed out at me, hitting my face, knocking me down. I looked up as my vision was failing to see the red werewolf Shew kill him, and menacingly look at me. The red eyes were what I last saw before I fell unconscious.



My eyes opened to reveal myself in a coffin, at least my coffin, for it had the same lining and felt like my coffin. Was leaving a dream? Were the werewolves and Carmilla a dream? For here I was, rested and it was twilight outside, in my same outfit from last night. Strange, how the dream was so vivid.

But it was no dream when I tried to open the lid. I managed to tip it a bit to barley see out, only white light, and not to my surprise lots of chains held the lid down. I started banging against the lid, trying not to panic. No one was in the room, but the scent of werewolves was near by. Realizing that my calls would not be answered, I decided to wait.

In a few minutes, werewolves from the stench I smelled lifted my coffin and proceeded to walk out the door, and down some stairs. It was a little while when I heard some occasional whispers and growls. The echoes in the room told me it was a large hall.

Finally my coffin was set down, and the chains were lifted. I was ready to spring out, and it came as three werewolves lifted the lid in their human forms. I leaped out, only to be caught in the hands of even more werewolves. I was held fast, trying to bite them, but then was tied up with what I feared, spirit thread. I was drowsed, and I let them carry me like a queen through two large doors.

The scene opened up to a large hall lit by torches. Werewolves were assembled all around, wearing their scant clothing and tattoos from the clan. All had the 3 claw marks upon their brow. I saw far ahead was the red werewolf Shew and what I presumed to be the clan leader, a large African American with a heavy cloak and all sorts of adornments. They looked at me with a stern expression. The werewolves all cheered and howled, though in their human vices, pounding their spears and knives on the ground. The thread had blood stains on it, vampire blood. I was even more sedated.

For years now I had dealt with the occasional werewolf, mostly vampires who got in my way. But I was their captive, perhaps to die. Dracula, most likely like the Shew said who hired them, was here to pick me up. I had looked down and away as small rocks, bones, and sticks were pelted upon me. They cut me, and hurt me, but as a vampire the wounds healed, the bloody cuts sealing up. It was when they dropped me on my knees and made me bow when I looked up. What I saw amazed me.

It wasn't the grin of the red haired Shew, nor of the stern, serious face of the alpha male, but of the brown tuxedo clad man, with a green bow tie, a brush stroke mustache, an old face with a top hat and a dragon emblem with a green feather in the cap, brisk brown hair, and the deep, love stricken eyes of Lord Ruthven. Dracula didn't hire the werewolves. He did. I should have known all these years how he looked at me with longing, with tenseness as he let me die, to become Nosferatu, how he killed even my father because he wouldn't let him take me as, what I supposed his bride. I had forgotten all about Ruthven, for it was 60 years since I last saw him.

"You have had your fun with Anne, Blood Bane. That part of the payment has been finished. Now I will take over from here." Ruthven turned towards the clan king.

"Some of my clan was killed retrieving her and her friends! I want the other vampires as payment for the damages to my people." The alpha sneered at him.

"Fine, take them, except the boy; I will need him later on." He looked at me again, and the werewolf promptly let go of me, but I was still tied up.

"Lord impeccable Ruthven. How much have I longed to never see your face. Especially now I know you killed my mother, and your granddaughter." I mustered up my courage of the situation, looking strong as I always had before. With my cold eyes boring into his, it was rivaling his coldness from before, but I saw weakness as he twitched at those words. He paid hardly any attention to me, dealing with the business at hand, which was the death sentence of Venom and Brimstone. At least Carl was going to be alive little longer, knowing how Ruthven handled jealousy with a trigger finger. The alpha male nodded to the guards, and they untied me of the thread and placed this time chain bonds around me. Then Ruthven bent down and picked me up in his arms, where upon I had a hard time struggling, but the chains held me stiff in his arms, his claws through his gloves spurring me as I bucked. As we backed down from the alter, we locked eyes.

He was trying to hypnotize me, and a vampire could do that to another vampire depending on power he or she had. Ruthven was slowly silencing me, my eyes drooping. But I was strong too, and I thought back, and managed to spit in his eye.

He wiped his face on his shoulder, and walked through the gauntlet hall of the werewolves, growling at us vampires. We went through the door to be handed my sword, which he stuffed in his belt. We then walked through the door to the back of the cave, out into a park in the Chicago suburbs. It was a cloudy night, where the moonlight was concealed. Then he transformed into his bat form, flying away into the night towards the city, with me in his arms. I couldn't transform however since I would get squeezed by the chains. I let him carry me to a skyscraper hotel, where we landed on a balcony.

He opened the door into a nicely, dark hotel room. He set me upon the bed, next to a golden ballroom dress. It was beautiful, and looking at Ruthven as he untied me I had a feeling he wanted me to get changed for the dance. He held me still with my bonds cut, to make sure I didn't get away.

"Well, Ruthven, making me dance with you at a ballroom? What are you going to do to make me put on that dress?"

"Perhaps sparing your lovers life, for instance. I have planned this for so long, Anne. Your boyfriend you shamelessly made as yours will live if you spend eternity with me."

"You? Murderer of my mother, your own granddaughter, because she refused to be a vampire? And even my father, for your love that is in vain? I could never happily spend my immortality with you, a cold cruel beast." I noticed then that I saw a werewolf walk in, dressed as a bell hopper, with Carl gagged in his hands, and chucked him on the other bed. Ruthven drew my sword and placed it above his heart, threatening to kill Carl.

"Wait! I'll go to the dance with you, as long as you don't kill him, please." I pleaded, letting myself go limp. I loved Carl deeply, and at the dance I supposed I could escape. Carl looked at me with pleading, his eyes telling me to let him die so I could go free. But looking at Ruthven's character, I knew that if I let Carl die he would force the dress on me. This way I would go no matter what.

"Good choice, beloved." He put my weapon away in his coat, and pointed to the bathroom. "You will find jewelry and hair adornments over there. Get dressed." He walked away to the other room of the suite, and the werewolf grabbed Carl and stuffed him in a coffin, locking the lid. Then the werewolf followed Ruthven.

I got dressed into the golden gown, reminiscent of olden times, but modern enough to go unnoticed in an antiquated style. The sleeves were very low, rimmed with white lace and trim around the dress. I went to the bathroom to place on the earrings, feather pins, and gloves. No necklace, however, as I already had one, which was my little locket now containing a little sketch painting of Carl also, seeing that photographs can't take pictures of vampires. Ruthven then appeared with his inhuman speed next to me, and placed a white shawl around me. Sighing, I let him, knowing I had to go through this, though I would stiffly accept it. I moved my hand away from his when he led me to the door. We went down the elevator, through the lobby, into a waiting black limousine.

I was not used to this at all. Unlike Dracula, Ruthven was not at all cruel, just really soft and guilty. He looked like he hid his true feelings for me, a mask of cold and stiffness for all these years it seemed, like a true vampire lord with out emotion. But with me in his presence, he was melting away his shell to reveal what I feared true love inside. But reading about his horrors, the crimes he committed, and what he really wanted to do, it would be soon when he burst his emotions out in frenzy, and a wrath to the death of unknown proportions. Ruthven was not an evil vampire, nor insane. As the car drove on, I realized he was a flawed man, the sides of good and evil being mixed in with his motives, using bad ways to get the good for him, and his good moves lead to bad. I could have pitied him, sitting next to him.

The car stopped at a night club, the Essex. He got out first, opening the door to lead me out with his hand again, but I batted it away and got out, shutting the door. He and I waltzed in, where Ruthven handed a reservation slip. The door man opened the doors and took our coats and shawl, and I paused at the room.

It was alive with dancing, human couples with fancy dresses dancing on the floor. It was a fancy, red and golden room, lightly lit, with an old English Victorian atmosphere. I could see why Ruthven chose this place to seduce me. But I would make sure I would not be seduced.

The music was light jazz, and he held my hand aloft, kissing it lightly.

"Shall we dance, Anne?" He adjusted his spectacle, and grasped my hand firmly.

"One dance, that is all."

We walked to the dance floor, doing a smooth waltz around on the gold tiled floor. We were very close, but not much, as I kept my distance from him. He didn't seem to mind, only silently adoring me with his eyes as we promenaded around, a pale skinned couple, one brown and green with a dazzling gold gowned lady, stiffly dancing, knowingly not liking each other's company, and seeing I was forced to dance with him.

The long waltz ended, and I broke my embrace with him. The one dance was up. I knew he might try to keep me, as one dance with the enemy is definitely not enough to spare an innocent vampire's life.

"If you think of leaving me, you are wrong. One more dance, please, Anne. I know I have done many things wrong, to get to you. I have been so lonely as a vampire." He held me firm, and the music started up again. I looked into his eyes, and my coldness melted away. He looked so pitiful, so lonely. His coldness was melting too.

"All right, Ruthven. One more and I are free to go with Carl." The dance was a slow one, and we got closer, doing the foxtrot.

"I had been so lonely, despising my death at being killed by Dracula. And I found my granddaughter, and I had thought to have her as a partner, a daughter in the undead. But, with my powers, and Dracula's teachings to remain cold, I killed her, and for years afterwards I mourned her death and joined the Order of the Dragon, until Dracula called me to pick you up in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. I fell in love with you, in a way not exactly like a bride, but you are like a daughter I never had. For then when I tried to save you from the mark of Dracula to induct you in the Order with me, where I could look upon you forever. But I failed, and in jealousy that Van Helsing wouldn't let me claim you as a daughter, I killed him. Since then I have been a recluse in guilt and sorrow." He sighed, tears coming to his eyes. He was acting like me, a vision of toughness hiding the emotions. I couldn't help but cry with him. Our hearts started to slowly beat together through our gloves, and we were embracing closer. "I…want you in a different way. I couldn't raise my first granddaughter, but I can raise you."

"Ruthven, I never thought…that was why you brought me here. I have a different view of you now. We are both of Dracula, both don't want to be of him, and, we have the same sorrows." I hugged him as we shuffled along, our hollow hearts beating again even faster. I was comfortable now that I was held in such caring, fatherly arms. I could imagine myself with him and my husband if I should call him that, Carl.

"Carl and I could be the children you never had, living together as three, safe and protected. I and Carl with Dracula around, we had to fight for survival. With another, our lonesomeness will be cured, and we could be much safer." Since father died the first time, I never have been hugged by a caring man before. Not like this. Ruthven deep inside was a good man. And Ruthven hugged back.

"Anne, I don't know what to say. I am sorry for being so cruel, so evil in my ways to tell you my feelings. I hope you and God could forgive me. We will be so happy." He choked through his happy tears, and he stopped crying, and so did I. We still maintained our hardened vampire image.

"I forgive you, Ruthven. Father." And I kissed him on the cheek. I saw his eyes zing a bright green, and his expression was calm and human of all things.

"May I cut in for a dance, dahling?"

I opened my eyes to see what I most feared. I was emotional in this tender dance, and Count Dracula had this cue to cut in and catch me off guard, for I gave a little whimper of surprise. I was not in the mood to be harassed by my enemy. But here he was, in a modern tuxedo, with a gold medallion with a red ribbon it hanged from around his neck. He dressed exactly like Bela Lugosi from the Dracula movie.

"Sure, who ever you are. Dance with my new daughter!" Oh, God. Ruthven was in a dreamy state, and I could sense light voices were telling him to give me to Dracula. Ruthven was in a drunken daze, and he let go of me, and started to swagger, humming along the way, to a table. I was left on the dance floor staring at the noble, handsome vampire in front of me. He still smirked, but more maliciously. Like before, he posed himself suggestively and made me nervous. But I tried to stay strong, quelling my emotions to try to back away, anywhere away from him. I was defenseless, his eyes boring into me, my hand tingling and my heart, silenced away from Ruthven, gave a fluttering jolt.

"Hello, Anne. It has been awhile since I have last seen you, my dear. I have been so longing for you, so much of your touch, your lips, and your body against mine." He bowed to me, his eyes level with mine, and he started to slowly walk to me. The other dancers didn't seem to notice, and the music started up again, a sort of romantic slow music. I was weak, emotional from dancing with Ruthven, and felt like the little human girl I was when I met Dracula the first time. The lights were turned down low for the dancing. And before I could react, he was around me, grasping my side and marked hand, and started to dance.

Even through the gloves, his power was entering through and soothing me, and I could only dreamily follow his steps, as we slowly glided towards the dark hall. I dreaded it, and I tried to move out of his grasp, to no avail as he subdued me under a slight trance. I was very frightened, and being a vampire too, I felt embarrassed to be scared after so many years of staying cold and tough. Now I was prey again, his food.

"I will never let you take me. You are an evil, unlawful, and truly deserve the stake, if that can kill you." I stiffened my head, trying to hold it proud, but I had a hard time, as voices were coming in my head again. "Ruthven has an entire werewolf clan at his disposal, and soon he will help save me. I know what can kill you, count."

"Ah, my old servant Ruthven. So clever of him to hire werewolves. Baht don't worry, it has been arranged you will never see him again." He dipped me so low, and I looked upside down at Ruthven being dragged into another corridor, gagged and looking pleadingly at me, being handled by Rienfield, and the vampire I remember from 30 years ago the young vampire. I gasped, and was pulled back up, to have my face smack into Dracula's, whereupon he kissed me.

He gave a little peck of one, but it seared my lips. My head gave a buzz, and I was limp. I watched him chuckle and move to my chin and face, kissing and subduing me. I looked around, with each paralyzing touch of his lips; to see that we were at the doorway of a dark hallway. He stopped and moved his hand under my body, and then picked me up, my arms limp and dangling as he held me while he walked down the hallway, his eyes scanning for something. My head was limp too, my back held in his arms, my eyes lolling around from my dizziness and I managed to see stairs. We started climbing, and I tried to stay awake as we went higher and higher. I won't let him seduce me; I won't let him do what he wants. I am vampire, I am strong, and I don't belong to no master!

I struggled to move my arms, against the impeding pressure that held my body. I clenched my teeth, groaning with gasps to move, anything to drop out of his hands, to get away from him. I managed to move my arm up, to grasp his tuxedo and brace myself, moving around and pushing off of his chest. But to no avail with my weak and hungry self, for I only had a sip of blood the Ruthven gave me in the limo, and I was still struggling, fighting back the terrible weakness Dracula was administering with his presence.

"Let me go, Dracula, let me…go, please…I beg of you…" I cried out, my strength failing. Damn him, damn it all. Tears were in my eyes.

"Go? Why would I? I begged of you to kill me when you had the chance, but you didn't comply with my whimpering cries. So I should return the favor, my ravishing beloved." He reached the top, and was walking down another hallway, into a large bedroom. It was dark, slightly dusty, with lots of things rearranged, already planned for us to be here. Gulping, I realized what he planned to do. I looked up at him, terror in my heart, and let go of him, to get away was my goal in my weak state.

"Still resisting, always like you father. You know how deeply we are connected. I made you, and I will do what I will with my bride. That is the way of vampires, and you will learn your place with me. Let us have a little fun, then, kitten." He set me right side up, and I immediately staggered out of his arms, facing him. He looked charming, but I tried to ignore that, telling myself that he was a monster, cruel and dispassionate, and greedy.

I backed into a desk, and glanced around the room. It was a Gothic looking bedroom, with black and gray curtains everywhere from the Victorian period. I saw another door at the end of the room, and that was where I started to inch to. I was weak, hyped, and feared for my life. The voices and dizziness were leaving me, but it was still there hindering my senses. So, Dracula wanted me to fight, give me a running chance. He was still watching, not making a move as I was picking up my pace.

"You are a selfish indulging beast. I will never please you, and so long as you keep me with you I will try to kill you, hurt you, in anyway I can." I straightened and tried to look menacing, but I couldn't with those eyes. I was flinching, and I hit the doorknob.

"Go on, hurt me. I will always be stronger, and soon enough you will let your guard down. And I will be in the door, past the gates you opened for me, and then the castle will be mine to keep, to tax and pillage whenever I please. For you are my vassal, and I am prince, beautiful. How can the country survive without the workers? I need you for that purpose, dahling. I vant you, all of you." He looked down at my cleavage, just staring there. At least we didn't have eye contact when I threw the door open and quickly closed it, and looked around.

It was a wax museum, filled with all sorts of figures of men, women, and torture implements. I looked at the signs and labels, and recoiled in horror at what section this museum was. The house of horror it said. And it was true, for movie monster statues, modern and old, Frankenstein and Chucky, the mummy and the wolf-man were statues, holding wax woman with bloody fangs and hanging fake corpses. I couldn't breathe, and let it out knowing it was all fake. I must get out of here.

I silently walked through the aisles, trying not to look at them as I walked by. The silence was deafening, making my mind echo with each step I silently amplified. I had to get out before I became mad. The soulless, cold eyes of the figures was making me scared, and I was shifting around, hugging my shoulders to stop the encroaching, non-existent darkness creeping around me. It must have been my imagination, the eyes of the wax grotesque people turning red, my walking turning into stumbling as I lollygagged and swirled around the room, bumping into the figures, giving little yelps as I looked into the eyes of the wax figures, all making me more frightened and scared, my breathing fast, and the room a hopeless maze. It was then I bumped into Count Dracula.

I only stared in the eyes, but I then realized it wasn't him. I backed away, not feeling his hands upon me, to find it was wax. It was Bela Lugosi, a wax of him in the hall of horrors, with an evil grimace on his face, and I saw, how close it was to the real Dracula.

I was scared, and I scented a breeze from a doorway. But that was all, for I was still backing up into the darkness, away from that horrible face, that reminded me of Dracula, the one who just appeared from behind his figure.

He was dressed exactly like him, the same look on his face. I was mortified and this time the eyes were intoxicating me, and the voices were gripping my mind. He had planned this madness, to show me these figures and make me swoon, to stop any struggle when he got me in his arms, for he was my creator, my maker into my form. I was a long lived vampire, and this was a way to destroy my experience and courage. These monsters, this room, it was what I had hunted for the past 30 years, only to bow before them humbled and shocked at their fake forms. I was human, and the deep voices that Dracula was commanding me, subtly, to tell me over and over that I was weak and mortal, allow him to enter my mind and satisfy his desires. The darkness was around me, and my mind fixated on a little girl, not blonde and brown, just a brunette with flowing locks crying at the alter in a dark church, wearing peasant clothes and sobbing while parading around her were solders, with spears and vile faces, shields and medieval armor, carrying with them the scent of innocent blood and despair. I was looking up with the blue eyes of my childhood, before I was bitten and turned golden. I looked up, and my vision looked up, to my real eyes to perceive Dracula in front of me, and my mind's eye to see an English bishop with blood red and white robes, and the cross black on his forehead cap. Dracula placed his hand on my shoulder, and the bishop did also. Dracula bent down to give me a kiss, and the English bishop gave me a wooden goblet, filled with communion wine.

"NO!!!!" I screamed in both visions, and when I pushed Dracula away, I pushed the goblet away. The voices! The voices said partake, and they said not! I am myself! I serve my family, my country, not the wrong dictator! The vision broke and fell away, my vampire self gaining control, breaking away from the bonds that Dracula was struggling to constrict around me. I was back into reality, senses awake, my claws stretched out, my fangs bared, and my body ready to attack. I was not going to allow myself to fall, my castle as he said to break. I looked at the exit, and prepared to rush over there.

"You have failed in keeping me subdued. I am a woman, a fighter, a person who wants to survive. I am independent of your whims as long as my inner self, my incarnated self keeps awakening and driving you back. I am vampire!" I with confidence, broken from all his bonds quickly ran to the door, flew out and was in a stair well, rising up, and in a few seconds I was at the top, the roof of the building.

The full moon was out, the city streets a bit quiet as we were on the edges of Chicago by the river. The rooftop was quite big, and with occasional chimneys and other Victorian period adorations. It was an old building, I already knew that, and here was my chance to escape. But then I saw two vampires descend and strike me down.

I fell backwards, not at all expecting that. I looked up from my pained skull to see two vampiresses wearing scant clothing. One had short, frizzy black hair with a purple outfit, and the other had brown hair tied in the back and a blue outfit. Both had fangs bared and were laughing, kicking me in the sides. I felt that they were young, around 30-20 years old. I might have the power to kill them, and at least to escape, but I was in a bad position to fight. They knew exactly were to claw, to pummel. I was in pain, slashing out only to scratch them lightly because they were agile. Then the purple one kicked my head, and I was dazed and sick. My wounds were healing, but there was still pain. I saw through my bruised eyes to see them and the vampire servant from 30 years ago lift me up, hissing with excitement. I let the beast that was fighting sink back into my insides, my body tired and weak, as I was dragged across the roof in the arms of the male vampire. I dizzily saw the two vampiresses glide away to the sides of Dracula, who stood grinning in the moonlight, my head somewhat clear, and still clearing to behold him. I was held upright, my arms pinned behind me.

"Clever to come up here to the rooftop, but not clever enough for my brides. You see, Anne, it is a long time to wait, for instance, right now a hundred years, to claim a wife. I tried to be faithful to you only, but my desires wanted a woman now. So let me introduce them to you. This is Mica." He motioned to the purple girl, who smiled and bowed her head. "And Rebecca." He then kissed the forehead of the blue one. She responded by sticking her tongue out at me. She looked very stupid.

"Well, pleasant to meet you bitches. How's it like being his whore?" That was what I could muster, and that was one of the last stinging remarks I could give as voices were clouding my mind, to tell me to sleep.

"Now, now Anne, don't talk like that to your new sisters. I thought it would please you, since you were an only child growing up. Now we are all a happy family. Already my wives have had many children. And yet you are not a wife." I was confused. Wasn't I bitten by him?

"I know what you are thinking, Anne. Just because I killed you does not mean I'm your husband. A marriage is in order, like for instance tomorrow." He brisked away his brides to lean in closer to my face as it was drooping from his master commands. Unlike before, they were stronger, realizing my strength also as I aged.

"You may have won the battle with me tonight, but the war is far from over. You shall fall like a dying flower giving up on life to succumb to sleep in the winter, to faint in my arms. And no one shall interfere with our love." He was so close, my mind slowly falling unconscious. He lifted my head with his strong, poised fingers, to look deep into his eyes. I had to look, my eyes dreamy and lost, the deep blue cascading down into the abyss. I was awake and mindless, and then he kissed me.

The soothing sweet nothings that were lulling me to sleep reached to a climax, and I fluttered my eye lids to see a beautiful white face of a gorgeous man. But reality kicked in, and I realized it was Dracula. But I couldn't stop from falling asleep, for I sensed dawn's approach. He stopped, and closed my eyes with his warm hands.

"I…I hate…you." Was what I last said.

"I love you too. Good night dahling." Was the voice of my master.



My eyes opened slowly, my mind a bit fuzzled but clear sort of, my head silent. I felt that it was early evening, my body unusually warm as I was in large coffin, with a deep black blanket covering my self. I was lying on my side facing the stone side of the coffin, and I closed my eyes again. I was tired, and nothing was wrong. My mind was at peace, my life wonderful. I sighed with my head asleep. This warmth of the coffin was pleasing. I relaxed and turned over, hugging the warm chest of Dracula besides me.

Dracula sleeping next to me. I opened my eyes, panic in my mind and memories flowing back. I gasped and backed away to the side of the coffin, which as coffins go were not the size of beds. I look down at my self under the covers, to find I was thankfully wearing my underwear. Dracula stirred and looked over at me, while I was pulling the covers over myself. I had a feeling he was stark naked.

"Why so distressed, my fiancé?" He cheerily said rising up to lean in closer on his elbow, his hair undone and looked romantic, creating butterflies in my stomach.

"You are sick." I said, cowering in his shadow as he leaned in closer. He reached out with his other hand and lightly grasped my shoulder, unwillingly causing me to let out a little cry. It was cold and my body shivered with an unusual delight that scared me. "Please, let me leave at least the coffin! Don't come any closer, please." I begged quietly, my eyes looking at him. I would have met them if his eyes hadn't been staring at my cleavage.

"Oh, let you go? Why, what a cowardly request. How about you stay with me." He looked down at me, and I could tell he was confidant that I wouldn't leave, the voices in my head were not there, and simply his presence was making me helpless. Then his hand was rubbing my shoulder, and moved down my back as he started to take apart my strapless bra.

That was the last straw. I was not a helpless vampire. He was trying to lie on top of me, and I snarled at him. "Get away, I'm warning you!" I said, and my mind switched to evasive action when he continued and bent down to kiss me. Alright, Dracula, I'm awake. I shoved my knee in between his legs.

If I wasn't in a panicked mood, I would have thought the look on his face priceless. He cried, "Arrrgghh!" and his eye lids flew wide open as he gulped as he fell back to his side of the coffin, clutching his groin under the covers. I took this opportunity to lift the lid of the coffin and slide it off, and I crawled out.

I fell on my back, as I didn't know the coffin was placed 4 feet from the ground. I wasted no time in looking for my yellow dress from last night, but to no avail. Instead, on the furniture, _my _bedroom furniture from my house in England, was a white and gold outfit, as in the same style as his brides wore. That disgusting thing or the burgundy drapes I took down 10 years ago because I didn't like the color were in a heap in the corner. I chose drapes.

I managed to wrap myself in them when I crawled over there when I looked over at the coffin. Dracula was leaning over the edge, with an angry look that startled me and made me shudder. His lip was twitching, his eyebrows furrowed, teeth clenched. I stood up with the thick drapes around me, only to back into the wall, my mind confusion. One side said I should not have done that to the master, the other was gloating with victory. Anyways, I had to look away when he got out, his mumbling Romanian words telling me that he was getting dressed. When the words stopped, and the shuffling of clothing ceased, I peeked, afraid of what I might see, but I was, as his face was with a mock smile to hide the anger showing through. I gasped again, looking into his eyes and he grabbed my shoulders. Thank God he was dressed in his usual military outfit.

"You have aged my beauty. But you still look the same as when I bit you. And you seem to be a feisty fighter. However, as you demonstrated your distaste, we shall wait till after our wedding." He looked me over; a mostly naked woman was underneath the drapes that her hands were trying to feebly pull up around her. A few grasps from the hand, and they would fall from her pained wrists. I would not let that happen.

"That was what you deserved, bastard. I'll never let you. All the times you tried I have been saved, or even saved myself, like this time. I am not to be trifled with. I am experienced." I stared back, preparing to strike out. But he didn't give me the opportunity. Thankfully again, he let go of me and walked away, chuckling. He looked back at where I still stood.

"Well, my chances will be doubled if you don't wear your dress to the wedding. Burgundy isn't your color." He pointed to the dress on the arm chair. "If you don't put it on, I'll have to put it on for you." He smiled in the door way, looking at me like a statue. I was guessing he wanted me to say no.

"Your services are not required in dressing me. Please leave." Dracula shrugged and closed the door.

"Pity." He said.

I let out a long sigh of relief. I dropped the curtains around me, and picked up the two piece dress. It was white silk, with gaudy long sleeves and skirt, with gold lining all around. On the chair also was gold cuff bracelets, a gold choker, gold hoop earrings, white and gold beaded hair barrettes, and my golden locket was there. I sighed and slipped on the two piece and jewelry. I then looked down to see it was almost like a bikini top, the cleavage dipped very low, and thankfully it was not low enough to see the bra edges. Damn it, this was the skimpiest outfit befit for a prostitute!

As soon as I put the barrettes in my hair, I felt the whoosh of the door faintly open, and the scent of a female vampire behind me. She was good at remaining unnoticed behind someone, but not that skilled in sneaking into the room to stand there.

"Hello bitch." I said to Rebecca. She responded by herself flinching. But I knew she remained her composure.

"Well, since _you _yourself are his bride, I guess you're just a bitch also. Our master was wise to not take you in immediately. Maybe he doesn't like you." I turned to see her standing, looking at me. She had a look of fear in her eyes, knowing that she was much younger than me. I could imagine myself a golden eyed solemn and drawn out woman, with an imposing look and deep, narrow eyes that were like abysses in time. Many a human I look at stares helplessly like I did when I looked in Dracula's eyes. I knew and felt that was my extant of my power. And Rebecca moved back from my worn out face of defeat and despair against the world. I was in a bloody friggin mood to talk with nobody. Especially Dracula and his prostitutes, which, if the wedding succeeded, I would be one of them.

"I am older, more experienced, and much more powerful than you. If Dracula wasn't stronger then me, I would have gladly kill you like any of the other multitudes of vampires I have stabbed, shot, staked and burned. Get the Hell out of here and leave me alone to contemplate my damn awful fate." I clenched the table I was standing at, unknowingly crushing the edge, and my other hand that was free at my side lengthen it's claws, golden and menacing, much longer than hers, who's blue ones rose up to meet mine. It was less animalistic then mine, and looking at my large muscled hand with thick weapons and my menacingly angry face. She whimpered and backed off, hissing her discontent. Good. The little girl feared me.

"Looks like you are a bit jealous of my affections for your lover." She snickered nervously. Jealous? I jealous that she was the wife of my worst enemy? Clearly she was a dumb ass concerning my hatred for him. But as I thought those words I suddenly had a feeling. I was feeling a bit jealous, I mean, he got two other brides when I couldn't give him what he wanted and stubbornly refused his desires! Damn it all, I messed up my chances to be alone with him for good! Now I have competition.

Oh, God. What the hell was thinking? I shook my head, my self feeling very ashamed at myself, and I struggled to control myself. I looked through tears and managed to dispel the strange thoughts. I am not jealous! I would rather he would forget about me and have these stupid women instead. I glare at her, and she got the hint that she should leave. But the door opened, and Mica strode in. Another dumb ass.

"The master thinks you are quite hungry, some blood to let your thoughts settle." Mica procured a cup of fresh human blood. She glided in, looking at Rebecca with a frozen look on her face of in desions, and to me, a look of stress and despair. She smiled, and set the cup on the table, then sat quite comfortable on the mantle piece above the small fireplace.

"How can I settle when you are in the room? My lover is locked in a coffin, Ruthven, most likely dead, my best friends killed by werewolves…" I couldn't help but cry. The toil of the past few days was breaking me down. I was alone; no one would or could save me. My weakness sensed, Rebecca became more settled.

"Oh, the rebellious bride won't accept her fate. One would wonder why he chose you." She taunted.

"One would wonder why he chose you too." I snapped back, and turned away to try to hide my tears. I looked longingly at the goblet of warm blood.

"Rebecca, stop. Master's orders that you should leave the bride alone." Mica said, and Rebecca scowled at her before walking out the door. But as she passed through, she bumped into Dracula and let out a surprised squeal. She was silenced when Dracula kissed her on the lips rather passionately, and then stood up to straighten his jacket. As expected, Rebecca dreamily meandered out the door humming a very annoying tune. I looked away, determined to not look at his face as much as possible.

"How's my darling Anne?" He said to Mica on the mantle. She flourished her 70's hair and posed rather gaudy.

"Oh, a usual self I suppose, and quite distressed. It is her wedding day, of course." Mica zipped to his side to stroke his ponytail. "And she has a steaming amount of jealousy for us." She cackled and looked my way. I hissed at her, and her smiling face turned into fear, and she left the room. I was then more panicked when I was alone with Dracula. I gulped and started walking away to the window. Every step I took betrayed my confused soul, as slowly I was weakening my rebellious nature to accept my master. But I have no master! No one owns me! I shook my head and leaned at the window sill, the creeping thoughts ready and waiting for the final blow I could guess that would come tonight. I shivered at his touch on my shoulders, but I shivered mostly at the doom that would come tonight.

"You look beautiful, beloved." He said, words sweet as honey. I wanted so much someone I could trust to hold, to hug away my fears and cry into someone's shoulder. But the man I feared, the vampire that made me, was gripping my mind. The hands were creasing my shoulders, and moved over me. I sensed he was trying to comfort me, my aura of despair quite notable. I let him, shaking with fear, as he hugged me. It was too much. My mind was crying for the master to heal me, to let me bury myself in him. His breathing was slow, and mine was falling with him. I couldn't help it, and my mind broke under the pressure he so expertly placed on me. I turned and hugged him, and I started sobbing pathetically into his shirt.

My master will comfort me; he is the only joy I have. Yes, said the soothing voices in my head and ear, I am your protector, your lover. I let my body reply back, seeming to say hold me, want me, and comfort me the loss of my friends and family. I hugged him harder, my mind becoming forgetful. Until I heard the word rebel in my resting mind. I opened my eyes to suddenly see the memories of my life these past few days flash before me. The thought of master turned into Count Dracula, and I struggled against his hold. I wanted to hug anyone but him! I was giving myself up by doing that!

His strong arms and gripping hold turned from gentleness to grappling, the innocent hold to a forced press against his body. I managed to struggle enough to move my head to his shoulder, close to his cat grinning face. I was betrayed, my mind used to make me hold and be held in his evil arms. I had a shattered mind, and the worst thing I needed was to give in. Panic was gripping me, and my breathing fast. I was getting hot against him, my arms wrapped around him and pinned there by his arms holding me. I was helpless in his hold.

"You can't love me, count. You have forgotten what it is." I said his face above mine. I could not see him, my head pushed against his shoulder looking away, like a little baby. Unlike a baby, he wasn't holding me comfortably, instead smoothing his hands on my sides and shoulders, making me tingle all over. I was not weak; I would not let him do this! I stiffened and tried to wake up from the dreaminess all around me. I succeeded and bit his shoulder, harshly.

He stopped and pulled me away, but we were still touching, and I saw his wound heal up. He had a furious expression on his face, but turned into a grin.

"You fight admirably. All right, all right, I'll wait till later. Have it your way, bride-to-be." He quickly smooched his lips against mine, and withdrew, swiftly letting me go, and gliding back into the shadows. "You are wrong, Anne. I still love."

"Lust is more like it." I snapped back, and he disappeared. I fixed up my hair again and drank the blood. Human, a young girl, most likely blonde. The blood felt good after two days of starvation I could not feel. His scent was all over me, but I didn't care. I must escape as soon as possible. I was a bit unsteady, my body crying out still for his touch, and what little left of my free mind was holding it back. And so, I opened the bedroom door.

It was my house alright, all decorated with blood red and pale white streamers, ribbons, and other assorted party implements. It was gaudy but with a modest type that indicated it was for a wedding. I was to be married in my own home.

Gliding down the steps, I saw some Dwergi adding last minute paper chains and such. The door was guarded by Rienfield, hobbling and old, drooling and looking around with wild eyes. I quickly smoothed along the wall to the kitchen, and I spotted the back door. Ah, the risk was not that great. I zipped over and started to open the door.

I had a split second to realize that a vampire was about to grab me. I swirled around and caught both his hands in midair, both of us snarling. It was the young vampire male again. I looked at him earnestly, ignoring his strong, and slightly touched with lust filled eyes.

"I can't let you leave, honey. Master's orders." He grinned, fighting hard against my grip on him to get closer.

"Well, considering the age difference, I think I would just love to leave with out killing you. Deal?" I said, snarling and pinning him against the cupboards. "By the way, what is your name?"

"Tom. But baby, you can call me any name you want. I love the way you snarl." This idiot teenager was getting on my nerves. I also smelled blood and dope mixed. He was stoned. I would have to get rid of him. I pinned his other hand to the side, to let my hand free to rip his head off, at least to slow him down, when I was pulled away by Rebecca.

The reeking smell of Tom had disguised my nostrils of the approach of Rebecca. She in turn pinned me back, and quickly tied sprit thread around my waist. She was wearing gloves and I did not have time to react. I had a hard time standing up then as she let go of me, the sliver belt now making me limited in my movements. I was drowsed again.

"Well, Tom, will you stop bothering the master's bride? He would not appreciate any of your fooling around with his slave." She smacked Tom, and dragged him to his feet to throw him out. I would not get very far out the backdoor, and it just locked. Great.

"Ah, Anne. We thought to prevent any more misbehaviors in the next few hours, a little passiveness is desired, that which you have none." She giggled and tossed her gloves away. "Perhaps you would like to stay in the library? Read a few books, draw a bit, have some more food…"

"I am not a damn baby, Rebecca. It should be you, bitch." I would have sounded more threatening if the damn belt was off me. But I could not resist very well when she smacked me, and dragged me after her to the library. Along the way I was doing a good show of shaking her hands off, but to no avail. Watching me was Mica setting white lilies in vases, smiling cruelly, Rienfield looking up at me from a grasshopper he snatched from outside, Tom crawling out from the kitchen staring at me funny and drunkenly, and to my horror Dracula in my father's office, reading his papers and looking up at me from them in his hand. A chuckle escaped his lips and motioned for my captor to bring me in there. I was realizing how silly I looked, a silver belted vampire trying to avoid going in her handler's general direction. I was soon set down in the chair in front of Dracula.

"She was trying to escape, my beloved, but she didn't get far. I placed the thread around her as you said." She bowed.

"Good. See to it that everything goes as planned. You are dismissed." He waved his hands, and she walked out. The door closed and locked.

"Now, Anne. I understand your father has left many things behind for his children to pick up. And some things are hidden very expertly. I know where those things are." He stood up and walked up to the double portrait frame. Framed was the photograph of Anna Valerious, and the other was my father and mother holding hands. Dracula traced his finger along the face of Anna's picture, and then swiftly withdrew to look angrily at Van Helsing, and stare at my mother. He then opened the framed portrait door, hinged and dusty, to behold a safe. A keypad with the 4 spaced windows was ready to be typed. He shiftily looked at me, quite obviously hinting that he wanted the password from me.

"I don't know the password, Dracula. It is his most secret stuff, and if I knew, like a good girl I would never try to figure it out." I said through my gasping breaths, as the thread was making it a bit hard to breathe. I believed he enjoyed the pain.

"I think you lie, bride." He said and immediately procured a cross. His hands were gloved, and with the cross medallion and the little rosary beads started walking towards me. I started to feel the aura of the holy object. He placed the cross on the table, out of my reach. Then disappeared.

I had no time to react when his arms circled around me and picked me up, holding me close to him. I was standing; my arm pinned, and was gasping heavily from the crushing hold. With his face above my head, nuzzling my hair, he picked up the cross, dangling it a foot away from my face to see it clearly. I was sweating, desperately not wanting to feel the pain it would burn upon my skin. He was trying to panic my mind again! To torture me into giving him the password! It was slowly coming closer, my breathing faster, my skin slowly and painfully feeling like it would burn, and I imagined the feeling of blisters and blackened flesh to leave a permanent cross on my face.

"Tell me the password, and you won't have a scar or worse all over your body." He hissed in my ear. Fire was slowly replacing my present thoughts. I was looking around madly, struggling and started screaming as the cross was only a few inches from eyes. I closed my eyes tightly, managing to move my head to the side, only to have it threaten my cheek. I had my fangs bared, making my lip bleed, and my face was burning, extremely hot and blistering. The cross was glowing redder and redder. I was panicking, Hellfire swarming in my eyes. I believed in God, since crosses burned and visions of my past life were my only dreams. It seemed like God's wrath I should betray my father's sanctuary. It was too much.

"It…its Anna…Anna! The password…word!" I screamed, it only a few centimeters from my face, and the pain stopped. I let out a sob and the hold left me and I looked through my panicked eyes to see the cross still in his hand but far away. Good, I thought, let it stay that way, that infernal thing of fire away! Then I realized what I said to stop it from becoming closer. I shivered that I gave away the password for a burning scar. And the words I said in my scared mind were a curse to God. I saw Dracula smile at the realization at what I said played across my face. He had made me feel and tried to convince me of my cursed fate, that God did not love a vampire. He let his hold loosen and placed me terrified in the chair, whereupon he walked over, humming a Romanian folk tune, to the safe. Typing the word 'Anna', the safe gave a click and opened to show its contents. He picked them all up and placed them on the desk in front of me, the cross set down in between to hinder any hand movements over to him.

I merely watched, trying to recover from the burning incident, as he still hummed and looked through the papers and objects. He looked at the amulet of the Holy order, and then stopped as he read the Romanian scroll.

"Ah, one would wonder how Van Helsing would have procured my birth certificate! Very clever, I'll take what's mine." Dracula stuffed it in his jacket. He then started reading my father's diary. How I hated him then, my father's deep thoughts written on paper for him to read! I could only settle my breath down to my slow weak state. And so, Dracula's occasional eye was upon me in my somewhat tear stained outfit, where upon I had gained my stubborn composure.

It was a little while when Dracula read the entire book. He set the book back into the safe along with most of the objects, but the dagger, a few papers and the birth certificate he stuffed in his jacket. He looked at me very demanding, seeing a quiet, seething vampiress, limp and tired from the silver and the ordeal that happened around her. Automatically, Rebecca strode to stand behind me.

"Ah, Rebecca. Please escort Anne to the library. She will be comfortable there until the guests arrive." Dracula coolly said, whereupon I was lifted up from the shoulders to be escorted by her out the room into the hall, where I was shut into the library of mine.

My library was a small one, with most of the books I read in it. It had the little piano I sometimes played, and was dark like the night surrounding me. It reminded me greatly with the light and shadows of the little room with the piano at the Grand Mansion of the Order of the Dragon. I shivered, as the ominous scene reminded me of his attempt to rape me at least 60 years ago. But my curiosity was quipped as I was bored for the first ten minutes, as I then saw a piece of sheet music I immediately recognized. I walked over there to gasp in surprise. It was Novelette, the same little piece that was at the mansion. I was compelled to play it, to sit at my piano to drown out my sorrow with the notes from the keys. I sat down and began to play the music.

I was perfect, and I played it over and over, crying as I went, sometimes playing it louder and sometimes the version soft. But after a bit, I decided to search for my other music. I looked through my untouched pile to pull out some romantic area pieces and compositions, and even some modern music. I expertly played them all, like 'Forest Nocturne', 'To a Wild Rose', 'In the Evening', 'September Ends', Yesterday', 'Live and Let Die', and at last the long piece I played from my dear, cold heart, 'Stairway to Heaven'. All of them were reflecting my life, my moods, and my choices in life. But what touched me was the Stairway to Heaven. As I played the long, beautiful ballade, I saw the words on the page dance before me, making images of angels, golden light, and clouds. But near the end, I felt Dracula's presence, and the images were turning into fire, of suffering, and screams were in my ears. I played harder, stronger, more vigorous, the words of the song making no sense. But the fire died away, and was replaced with a bird flying upwards to the sky. I was transfixed by the confusing images, until I played the last note.

I placed the music away, only to find a very old piece of sheet music, hand written in black ink, with the name, 'Anne Amour'. Curious, I glanced through it, and found to my mind boggling surprise how flowing, how peaceful and sometimes turbulent. The parchment smelled like roses, and another scent I distinctly remember, but at the moment I couldn't place it. Most of the writing was in Romanian. Looking, I began to play it.

It was like a funeral, sad piece. Terrible and soothing at the same time, it spoke of a hidden rebellion under the moving waves of beauty. It was after the first repeat, when I became most absorbed in it, and heard the delicate sound of the violin my master was playing. I was crying and shaking with it, my music playing it like a symphony of death, and the violin a serenade of life. It was only after the long piece that I stopped. It was like a song of sorrow and joy, pain and depression, love and hate. It was made for me, I thought. How else could it sound so beautiful on my first try? But the answers and questions in my mind turned into a realization. Who was playing the violin I heard play so sweetly and passionately? I turned my head, awake slightly at the thought, and was looking at the stature of a tall, suave sensual man, my master. I was not surprised at his presence, but I was mortified as he had a violin in his grasp. I then blinked with my fluttering eyes to shake the charming violin playing man from my vision to that of Count Dracula. He had a soft, seductive face, his deep red violin still against him, ready to play. When he saw my surprised expression, he set it down and sat on the bench with me.

"I made that piece for you to play, my dahling. It means, beautiful Anne." He looked at the piece, whereupon I took the chance to scoot a bit father away from him. "I knew you would like it. I have worked for years on that piece." He leaned in closer to place his violin away to bring out a silk wedding veil. "I hope you enjoy this day, the best day of your life, until our children will be born, alive."

I looked away from his soothing face, and he placed the veil on the piano. "You know as well as I that your children, no matter what, are cursed to be still, dead and rotting in their cocoons. I would be horrified to give you one. What drive is there make your brides give you dead children to clutter the halls to mourn for?" I said, calm in this situation from the stilling music. Dracula made no further attempt to move closer, instead got up and started to walk away, a smile playing on his face.

"Oh, my dear Anne, you are more important then you think. Why do you dream of your past life when all the other vampires cannot? Why, even when a fledging, you were stronger then most, but you did not realize that because you denied your un-death. Indeed, you have a most holy form of white; you clearly seem to deny your death. Even when I touch you," He reached his hand to stroke my face, reviling with the strange joy that crawled up his arm to beam on his face, "you radiate warmth unnatural to the undead." It was true. The occasional vampire that grabbed on to me before I killed them became shocked and confused, like they were touching a warm human instead of a fearless vampire. I shivered at this, realizing how peculiar I was as dead. I pushed his hand off, ending his moment of ecstasy.

"Yes, dahling. You are my vessel to bear my next living heirs! With you, they shall live, and both of our dreams will be fulfilled. You are special beyond what I have said." He started to walk out of the room. "Get ready, my beloved. The wedding will start soon." With that he walked out into the hall, where I heard the talking of conversation of vampire guests. Mica and Rebecca strode in, with Mica carrying white lilies. I got up from my seat, terror and grief stricken on my face. I looked away and got off the bench, and contemplated my fate with the beginnings of tears on my face. And it was there I prayed since a long, long while. While I cried out to God in my silence, the brides placed the veil on my head, the flowers in my hand, and a silk cloak around me. I was dumbfounded, and chanted forgiveness and begging for salvation in my head as I was led out the foyer to the back into the field, lined with dignified vampire lords and ladies, all staring at the beautiful but deadly looking bride, who was limply led to the edge of a white tiled path that led to a hill.

It wasn't the red robed vampire priest clearly instead of a cross was a satanic symbol on his brow, nor of the gleaming black clad and red cloaked Dracula, or even the multitudes of vampires standing on the edge awed at the soon-to-be countess bride. It was to my horror that made me cry out in the starlit air of the night wedding that I saw on a long stake, Lord Ruthven.

He was mounted on the pole a few feet away behind Dracula. His ragged cloak was shadowy and trailing in the breeze around his brown suited form, the cloak black and green. He had shaggy matted hair on his bowed hanging head, the stake sticking out of his left shoulder, and it looked like he had stayed there for several hours. I saw closer his hat was staked on the pole also, his eyeglass hanging from his pocket, his hands clenched and eyes closed from the pain of being impaled. I was could not believe it. He would watch me wed from a stick. I was terror stricken, and Dracula's voice was telling me to walk forward. I looked into his eyes to see that by the ivy arch over the little podium he was on, was another stake.

_Marry me of your own will, and Lord Ruthven will not be staked in the heart. _Said the voice in my head, Dracula's. I would not see my dear friend die, and I had no choice. I started to stride over the tiles at a slow pace, praying even harder, the vampires bowing as I passed. I saw Ruthven open his eyes, those deep green eyes of sadness and pain, as he began to struggle, calling out. Lowering my head, I struggled to control the tears, not in front of Dracula or the brides. The walking was like a gauntlet to my doom, but as I glanced around, I saw only guards of wickedness with spears and swords, lining my way to the podium, but it had turned into a a hallway filled with red eyed judges, looking at me harshly, and a few sad, ones I recognized aas my own countrymen. But the vision faded. I finally reached the podium, and took my place besides Dracula, black and white together, and all was silent.

"Anne, don't marry him! I…can't bear it; you can't do this to yourself for me! I am finished already on this stake." Ruthven was crying, choking those words with the bloodshot green eyes glossy from the tears and pain amplified in them. Every time he moved his body around on the pole against the moonlight, he had to clench his teeth and hands and gasp with pain.

"I must, Ruthven. I can't let you die, my only friend alive. If I didn't do this of my own will, I would be forced to with your death on my hands. I have no choice." I looked away to try not to cry, and Dracula looked at me with a grin of evil.

"Yes, Ruthven. What a splendid torture, to be staked painfully to await the sun to turn you into dust, and in front of your eyes your great-granddaughter be married to the man you most hate, and with vile intentions. Too bad you won't live to see your great-great-grandchildren!" With that the satanic priest read the marriage vows from a cross stripped bible, and I began praying for Ruthven's and my deliverance.

_God, if you are out there, please, is Ruthven dies, may he not go to Hell. Don't let him burn for working for Dracula! He had no choice, he loves me as his granddaughter, and he has suffered much. Oh holy heavenly father, I pray that I won't have to live with this evil demon that I may die before he breaks my virgin vow._ I said this, over and over again, my mind in tears and sorrow. I was broken from my induced trance when Dracula slid a simple golden ring on my finger. I saw the white pillow held by a young vampire with another golden ring. I placed it on Dracula's finger, where he sighed is my trembling hands held his to slide the ring on. It was when the priest asked Dracula if he took me as his lawful wedded wife.

"I do." He said huskily.

"And do you, Anne Van Helsing, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I…I do."

"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Said the priest, and Dracula lifted the veil over my head, and looked at me with the most evil of eyes, red and deadly, making me tremble and gasp.

"I love you, Anne Dracula." Before I could rebut, he passionately kissed me, closing the gap at last with his strong arms against me, pouring out his emotions into me, and I was limp in his grasp. He stopped the kiss modest enough at least for a marriage, and I stood up again, gasping a bit for breath. He grabbed my hand and turned me around, where upon we walked down the aisle. Ruthven I could hear was sobbing, but the cheers and claps from the vampires drowned out the sound. I was led through the door inside, past his brides, past Tom and Rienfield, and stopped before the door. Dracula then lifted me up, through and over the threshold, and carried my quivering body up the stairs from the foyer to my bedroom. I was tearful while he was silent. The door opened, to my room cleaned up and lit with incensed candles, and what I feared then was the coffin gone. Instead there was a lavish bed with red fringe. I gulped. He set me standing in front of him, and the door locked.

"Alright, Dracula. I married you, and you can set Ruthven off that stake, and let me leave your sight." I said. Instead, he placed his hands on my waist and unfastened the spirit thread. It fell to the floor, without first shivering my legs as it passed over them. He let go of my waist thankfully, and turned around to walk to my dresser, whereupon he stared in front of the mirror, his reflection of course not in it, and neither was mine. He seemed to have a most serious expression on his face before he turned away. In front of the mirror, he took the hair clip out, and let the hair fall around his shoulders.

Taking my chance, I quietly walked over to the large windows, to see a similar scene when I became a vampire. The rolling hills, lined with trees, starlight, and the large moon set against them. To my horror, Ruthven was still on the stake, and to my listening ears I heard him crying. Dracula would not set him free. I was tricked. At least I could escape through this window. It was then to my quivering ears the sobs of Ruthven, and to the breathing on my neck.

I couldn't turn around before his hands grasped my sides, his breath in my ear. I gasped and looked down at my stricken position, and felt his hands creep up over me and unfasten my cloak.

"I do not think that letting go of such a prize at my moment of triumph that is quite, satisfying, a wise idea." He whispered, my body getting limp from his now warming hands at my sides and hips, making me tingle and feel a delight I had rarely and never wanted to feel from his hands. "Ah, still a virgin? I can smell it…"I was breathing fast, his kisses on my cheek and neck, nibbling along my bare back and throat. I was petrified from the soothing and sensual feelings from his light touch. But I could not submit myself to this. I turned around, grasping his hands and pulling them off enough to only run out of his hold and face him.

He had his shirt off, revealing his muscled chest, and only had his pants on. I began circling him, my mind and body numbed by his hands, my mind crying out to get away and to be held in his arms. With the in desions playing in my head, I could only back away holding my hair and shoulders, terrified and excited at the same time, not knowing at all what exactly to do. But I decided to oppose him, the slowly advancing alluring man striding after me. I was stumbling around the dressers and little tables I had in my room. But when I brushed the bed, I immediately straightened, and when my eyes returned to look up, he was in front of me holding my shoulders, pressing me close to him and my head flopped back, my body helpless. He smashed his face against mine, passionately kissing me, and my mind was on fire.

It was like explosions of love and pain was blowing off in my head, and I couldn't stop it. My emotions for years past were bottled up as the vampire self was taking over, not of this world. Now these past few days I was released from the shell and again human, whether it was a blessing or a curse to feel them at these moments. But now was not the right time to fall helpless in an intimate grasp.

He paused and moved all over my body, my front, throat, hair, shoulders, and all the while he was making me recline backwards onto the luxurious bed. I managed to place an arm underneath me to prop me up a bit, and he noticed this.

"How dare you. A woman…who completely…loathes you…to be forced to…be a…slave to your passions." I said through my gasps of pleasure. "Please stop…before I become lost. This isn't right…not moral…"

He looked deep within my eyes, and I felt bewitched. I could no longer govern my actions, my mind in a deep turmoil of pulsating colors. I realized my marked hand was touching his, where the feelings came from. But mostly the power was from the cold heart that was warming from contact with the master, who was now pressing me against the bed.

"My blooming beloved, for all these years as Nosferatu, you still have not learned. There is no good or evil, dearest. Morals are bonds placed to control the mind. Even you kill, but you must to survive, and so then killing is not a sin. War to gain a benefit to another, lies to help the soul survive. There is no good, nor evil. Only survival." He leaned over me, keeping the eye contact, allowing enough freedom of movement to have me crawl away in fear. What he was saying, was making my mind clear. I could hear everything, I was hyped to listen and ponder as I slid over the bed away from his grasp. But it only made a better position to crawl over me, and I was completely on the bed. "So what does it matter, dahling? I have been charged, the real reason why Satan sent me here, was to make more of my kind, to propagate the entire world with my children. Though my master thinks to use evil, evil is only a bond he has been placed with to rule his only purpose, I must do what he says, and I dare say I rather like it." He hissed, before pinning down my arms that shuffled me along down, causing me to lie flat on my back, his heaving chest over me while he sat on me in a rather intimate position. I could only shift around, and that didn't do much. I turned my head away, not ever wanting to look at him again, and started to realize that he was purposefully letting slack his paralyzing power over me, keeping me in check when I was rather rambunctious.

"Laws of goodness and evil keep us in check, to let us not hurt other's to survive. And the lawmakers God and Satan exist, for the cross burns and miracles happen. And you yourself admit it." I was desperate now. He was trailing his hands over my body while he went to lie on top of me fully. I couldn't help but tremble and raise my hands up to his shoulders to push him off. "How can you not care, and feel the sufferings of others? Even mine now…" His hand covered my mouth, and with what failing strength I had from his toying of my will I bit it, managing to rip my father's old ring off, that I had noticed he wore from my hand. Immediately the finger disappeared, leaving a stump of an appendage. While I spat the bloody ring out of my mouth and screamed that the finger didn't go back to normal, I remembered the night when father died, when Dracula took the ring and placed it over the stump of a finger and it grew back. But Dracula didn't pay attention, pausing to slip it into its place for the finger to grow back with the ring snugly on it.

This was my chance to escape! I flipped to my side and began crawling to the edge of the large bed on my stomach and managed to grip the tall bedpost before I felt his hands grip my hips, pulling me back to him while I scrambled to grab something, anything to make sure I would not be in his hold. But to no avail, his strength greater then I, and he pulled me into his arms, him kneeling behind me, already licking my neck. I was frozen with fear, crying out "No, no, don't do this, please!" But my spine was tingling as I was falling into his grip of want and lust.

"Rules are only part of the world, and mean very little. They keep in check the humans for us to feed and create." He whispered soothingly. I was falling limp against my will. "We are better then them, my love. We are above the law."

He moved me around to face him, and he was gently laying me down, my head hitting the pillows while I was taking in what he said. It was a distraction while he pulled off my bracelets from my limp hand he was kissing also, and tossed them away.

"We…cannot be above them…We were once human, but now we are not in a different world. I would rather see vampires all die, especially you." I whimpered as he pulled out my earrings and ripped the choker off my neck, his face above mine with a sadistic grin. I only had one hand free; on my chest to feebly keep a defense up should he try to take my dress off. But with that feeling I knew it would not matter. Hopelessness was surrounding me, a feeling I always dreaded. It was useless to defend myself. I am alone, and no one at this hour could rescue me. I heaved a breath I had kept in me for so many years, a moan of defeat. I could feel it was pleasing to Dracula, now his chuckles of triumph vibrating through me, shaking me deep inside. No one could help me. I was doomed to lose my virtue, and perhaps to become pregnant of Dracula's evil spawn. But the child would be dead, as always. How could he want children that would never rise, now that surely Frankenstein's monster, I supposed was dead after all these years?

"Don't be afraid. I shall be gentle for your virgin sake." Was what Dracula said as lay on top of me, his chest heaving upon my dress, now unbearably hot. "You are a holy woman, Anne. You are special, not just in beauty, wit, and charm, but because your body has refused to give up completely its spirit. I need you for that, to help complete my purpose here on this world." He said this while un-tying my top, loosening it enough to pull over my head. "I hope now you will understand why these years I have been following you."

"What do you mean? Is it because of pride, that no vampire can escape your grasp? That I am revenge against God? That I am a prize because of my past incarnation?" I said while he took my top off, my arms struggling to not move but to avail as he held them, and the sleeves glided off. All that protected me was the skirt and bra. _God, oh God, please let me die, please save me from this. I don't want to experience this! _I cried out to God in my mind, while he pinned my arms to my sides.

"Joan de Arc, you are the saint on earth. Wrongly burned for your crimes the English called it, condemned as evil and burned the same year I was born." His head was above mine, the words blowing across my face and making me hot. His moving lips were like an invitation for me to kiss. I was fidgeting, my mind crying out to be held in his arms, and the other was to get away. But I couldn't, and I could only stare at his alluring smiling mouth, with each word long teeth were seen. "A rebellious country girl from the French peasantry, claiming to hear voices from God to tell her to free France from its oppressors, the English. And so, you wore gleaming armor, cut your dark brown hair short, and with the symbol of the Lilly you fought a war, led by you, a woman." He moved his head to the side of my face, whispering the words as he nibbled and kissed my ear and face. "And so the evil, the English, captured you, and still you rebelled with God on your side. But they threatened you that you were not loved by God by doing this, and so you refused to atone and give up your belief of what God really was telling you." I was relaxing now, the truth and realization making me feel hopeless, and my tenseness going away as my body was slowly accepting his presence. "And so because you refused their atonement, and because of your war against them as they conquered your people, their protection your duty from God, you failed them and you were seen as a devil in the English midst, and were to burn." I was having visions dance before my eyes, of me in the fields of what my senses were telling me home, of killing people with a sword from my white horse, the stench of death around me in the midst of battle, of my white and blue flag triumphant in my hands above the battlements, my furious war cry as I yelled orders to my men with shield, spears, and swords rushing onward to the English army. "France loved you and you were a deliverer in their eyes, But the English ruled, and they could do nothing but watch you die. After you burned, a revolt started in the town and the king of France, that God had promised you would see crowned, was crowned, and you looked at him from heaven. It was only later when France was finally free that you became a saint, all along you were. Now, you have been placed on earth for a duty to kill the vampires and stop me. But you have failed, my love, failed." I couldn't help but sob. I had failed my purpose, for here he was now to hurt me in a most immoral way. "You will be the key to fulfill my purpose, your body to bear my children alive. You were meant to kill them, but now you will create them. It is now a curse to posses a warmth that makes you so attractive, so full of life when you are in fact dead." His head was above mine, and he was leaning in closer and his hands held me up to him, my head in a position for him to kiss.

"Then…you feel no shame for your actions…You are just a beast, an unfeeling creature who was brought back to bring evil." I realized that even more while he kissed me, his strength holding me up and brought me up to him. I was gasping to breathe, and after awhile he stopped, and let us both take in deep draughts of air. What I tasted was the grave and a scent that made me feel strangely aroused. My mind that denied these feelings was like a torture. My thoughts were of pain, and my body was of pleasure. I was experienced and had reached a point in my long life to have control of my emotions. But the control was making things worse.

"Yes, my pet, so have you." Those husky words were well placed, and it broke my mind. I was even more terror stricken, another realization that I was a vampire. I closed my eyes while he kissed me again, his romancing touch making me feel hopeless. I had no choice but to be held in his arms. He is my master, my mind called. I must not refuse him. My rebellious mind was slipping away, my life in shambles, and I was a vampire, spawned by the evil creator himself. I could imagine my future now, fueled by his passionate kisses, as an unhappy bride, a slave and sleeping in his coffin every night, raped every so often and giving birth to living, breathing powerful vampires, while he ruled the world and people suffered, and I could see out my gloomy window at Castle Dracula the world dieing around me, Hellfire permanent in the sky, and it was all because I let Dracula break my virginity. And I heard Dracula cackling behind me, holding me, and his arm outstretched, showing forth a swarm of undead warriors, the men with blood red armor and long black hair, and the women warrior vampires with short blonde hair. They were all flying, with their forms of black, and the cities before them burning, humans living in poverty under vampire lords, and are food for the vampires. And I felt not the touch of Dracula, but of the devil, hot and burning and searing my skin, the echoing words in my head.

_It is your fault you doomed them all._

I awoke from the vision, trembling and with a renewed vigor to find Dracula pulling my skirt down, the white silk gliding over my legs and he began kissing my body all over. I saw his deep eyes were fiery with lust.

"No!" My mind was in rebellion and I propped myself up, the spell of weakness and seduction gone from my panicked, revolting mind. I grabbed his shoulders and tried to push him off, as he was kissing and feeling my breasts. Dracula had an expression of confusion, as I only managed to vainly move him off, and he maneuvered thus by looking down at me from above, his surprised look at my fury from his spell turned into a malicious grin. He propped himself also, his body above mine, and he quickly pinned my arms away and placed my marked palm on his heart. I felt it beating furiously from his arousal.

"I will not be your concubine Dracula! Never will I conceive your children!" I exclaimed, his face bending lower and lower to kiss me, the eyes of his were slowly making me feel, different and strangely, wanting him. He was weaving another spell, stronger, but I was strong now. My mind was fighting to resist his crushing willpower; the voices again in my head telling me fall limp. I will resist!

"You are fighting a losing battle my love. Accept me in your heart, and the pain you will feel will go away. Rebellion only makes things worse." My breath was taken away when he kissed me, his tongue swirling in my mouth. It was then in the confusion that he parted my legs and squeezed rather suggestively my thighs and his hand was starting to pull his pants off. That was it. I will not be raped! I am a vampire, a 100 year old, and almost his equal. His tongue in my mouth, I snarled and bit it in half, spitting it out. He growled and blood drenched me from his mouth as I saw it heal. I ravenously reached out with animalistic fury and bit his neck, sinking my fangs into his heated flesh. The voices stopped and I heard only my pulse through my pointed ears and the unearthly shriek of Dracula, who was now grasping my arms while I pinned him down on the blood soaked bedspread.

I felt the disgusting taste of his black blood flood in my mouth, and I struggled to not swallow it, but I couldn't. I withdrew my mouth from his throat where I saw the bite wounds bleeding profusely the black vile liquid and to my victory Dracula was grimacing in pain. But the wounds healed over and his face turned into lust again. What I did only excited him more. I could have done better then that.

"So, you like to be on top dahling? And I see you are a bit feisty too." He snarled, his hands still on my arms, and violently pulled me to him, myself colliding with his chest. I couldn't help but yelp as my body slammed against his suddenly. I gripped his shoulders and the bed, pushing off of him, but to avail his arms encircled me even more, and I felt a bulge I didn't like poking in between my spread out legs. He still had his smooth pants on at least, but one of his hands was trailing down over the curves of my back to my underwear where he stopped and began slipping off. Feeling the tingling movements, I growled even harsher. His face and sighs were a response to my discontent, of pleasure, and I felt that he was taking in the pain I had as ecstasy. This was going to be hard to get out of, I thought, trying to instill reason into my mind to counteract the lust growing in me. I dug my taloned nails in his chest, struggling to rip the skin off, anything to get up and away. The movements only made me grind against him, causing him to sigh louder.

"Get your hand off my ass, bastard!" I shouted, in his face where he flinched. The moment his eyes closed I thrust my arms out with a painful strain of my muscles and pinned his arm off my thigh to the mattress, and with the other twisted his arm that had held me to him. I was free and tumbled off him, near the edge of the bed, on my back and my arms in pain from the burst of energy I did to flail his arms off. Gasping from a spasm of pain, and seeing Dracula leaning over with his arm to pull me back, I rolled over onto the floor, again my arms in pain. My heart racing, I proceeded to crawl away, grasping the blue carpet to painfully pull me along, away from him if possible. I heard a laugh from Dracula on the bed, and then I glanced back to see him sitting up and sliding off the bed, laughing evilly and grinning at my futility of the situation. I managed to pull myself onto my little couch I had in my room and turned around to face Dracula as he was striding over me, a bit angry looking, making me more panicked. I already had my arms hurting, but they were healing fast, but it still hurt. Instead it was fear that held me from scrambling off the couch, my knees slipping under me as I tried to get off, but could not in time. Dracula reached over to pull on a glove and cross from the table by the bed side. Slipping the glove on, he held the cross, and showed it full blast at me as he walked over, I cowering in fear. Fire once again was in my thoughts, and I could only revert back to my weak self, my vampire nature afraid greatly of the cross. He was now standing above me, the cross making me cower back on the sofa, and he was slowly guiding me off the couch, onto the floor where I was shaking as I backed up against the bed, and then crawling away madly on the bedspread to reach the other side, but his strong hand gripped my foot and with what fury I had that wasn't dying away from the presence of the cross swerved away and faced him, the cross now aiming me towards the end of the bed. Instinct told me to back away, and I backed into the pillows at the end of the bed, against the wall. He got me where he wanted, and with the cross in his hand there was no escape. On his knees and hands he was crawling up to me, the cross now as evil looking as his vile grin from his victory. I was back on the bed, the last place I wanted to be.

"It burns, doesn't it, dahling? You refused and rebelled against your emotions to let me, pleasure, you, and now I will have to use force." He was in front of me now, leaning over me with the cross slowly coming forward to my chest. I felt its hot presence making my skin sweat, my mind in worse panic as his hand pushed me to the bed board to feel the cross only inches away from my skin. His hand, gripping my side, pulled me down underneath him while the cross dangled over me, threatening to touch my quivering skin. The hand that pulled me down was then sliding to unhook my bra. "Whether you like it or not, I will have my way."

"I would rather have cross shaped scars all over my body then to be your damned object of lust!" I cried out, the burning sensation closer now. With a false look of despair, and a long sigh, he leaned down to me.

"Well, we'll have to prove your sincerity for that cause. As you wish. Pity." And with that he with the gloved hand pressed the cross onto my chest.

I screamed, prepared for the worst, fire and burning, and flame in between us. But instead there was nothing. I looked down to see nothing happening, the cross just there pressing against me. No burning, no dread, the cross wasn't affecting me. I looked up to see Dracula with a look of surprise, as he was pressing the cross all over me, to no affect.

"No, this cannot be! All vampires feel pain from the cross! Impossible!" He said. I was glowing in triumph, and to Dracula's distraction I could escape. I grabbed the cross, and with the feeling of goodness flow through me like bird's singing, I thrust it against his chest. He screamed again, flame covering the cross and his skin sizzling around it. But with his strong hand he grabbed it and thrust it away while I ran up the bedroom wall, hanging on the ceiling when Dracula recovered tossing his glove away and looking behind to see me crouched on the ceiling, both of us at lost for words at why the cross didn't burn me.

"So, you are so filled with God's will that you, even when a vampire, are not burned by his object of wrath." He appeared on the ceiling behind me. I dropped down to the ground, backing away with the strong feeling inside of me keeping me steady, until it fell away when once again stumbled at the couch, and with the falter Dracula leapt at me like a wild animal, and we both bowled over the couch and I landed on my back, hard against the floor. This time I saw the fury in Dracula's evil eyes, like a beast unleashed. That got me terrified again. But my scream was silenced when he madly kissed me, his lust then consuming him. He was dead serious this time, running his hands all over me and still keeping me pinned. The room was only lit now with moonlight from the window that was above us, as the candles had gone out. He finally stopped the kissing, at least not daring to explore my mouth as I would probably bite his tongue again. Tears were in my eyes and I couldn't stop them.

"I have you now dahling. This time, there is no escape." And with those words he reached to pull my underwear down at my now parted legs, when hope broke the window above us and flew overhead. It was Carleton in his brown bat form, and he grabbed Dracula's hair and yanked with all his might.

Dracula's head snapped back with a loud crack, and he went to his side with another burst of pain from his lips. I quickly sat up, shaky a bit from my ordeal, to see Carl had landed on the bed, and walking over with tears in his eyes. He was dirty and scruffy, and looked a bit tired, and I let him help me up. Before Carl could hug me and cry all he wanted on my indecent apparel, or lack thereof, I kicked Dracula again between the legs while he tried fixing his head back. It gave me time to run over and hurriedly pull on my skirt that was on the other side of the bed. Then, I hugged Carl and let us both cry in each other's arms.

"Thank God you saved me! He…he was about to…to…"

"I know, Anne. I managed to get out of the coffin and stop the werewolves from killing Venom and Brimstone, and found out that you and Dracula went to England. I rallied the werewolves together and…here we are, to rescue you." He and I kissed each other on the lips, but I withdrew, having had enough kissing for the night. Looking into my fearful and scared eyes, he knew that we had to get going. We let go and I was searching madly for my top, when Dracula arose, his form a dark man in the shadows of the moonlight, his beady blue eyes burning into me, affecting Carl most as Carl was starting to faint. I shook him, falling in my arms, whereupon he awoke and woozily looked at me, then backing away to the door with me, him standing in front of me to protect me. Dracula merely laughed, adjusting his pants while Carl raised his silver gun to his heart. I felt for the door knob and started to turn it, only to find it locked. Carl discreetly handed his smaller gun to me, which I shot the lock open and we both ran out.

I collided into Dracula's arms, gagging my screams against his chest, his hand from what I saw chucking Carl to the back of the room, where upon I saw him crash through the window.

"No!" I yelled, my face bursting into tears against Dracula body, the vibrations of his laughter resounding through me. But putting aside my terror I bit into his chest, the fangs deeply puncturing his skin, the hot black blood once again spurting out. But Dracula only grabbed me and ripped me off, and with his grasp on my neck held me up and smashed me into the wall of the upstairs hallway. The grip, however, wasn't choking me, only holding me there with a broken back mending itself with the snapping of the vertebrate from my body. His other hand clutched his mending chest. Looking at me coldly, he menacingly sneered in my face, my fangs bared and my hands gripping his arm, hardly budging it. But his sneer was cut short when I scented and heard the hearts of werewolves, and the soulless presence of vampires all around. He smelled it too, and dropped me as he punched away a werewolf that had grabbed him. Dracula then bit into the throat of the brown wolf, letting me run down the stairs into the foyer to see Brimstone burst into the hall from the door, gun in hand and a few werewolves following. He stopped stock still, aiming his bazooka up towards shirtless Dracula who was sucking the blood of the werewolf, only for Brimstone to look away and drop his weapon to give me a hug.

"Anne! I've com' ta rescue ya!" He said, giving Dracula a distraction to leap down and head our way.

"Fire your damn gun, you fool!" I let go of him, and then Brimstone swung his heavy arms to punch Dracula as he descended, only to miss when he landed away from him, while I ran into the library.

I had no time to hear any of the ensuing battle, only to see my beautiful sword so poised on the desk. I grabbed it and felt the familiar touch of the holy shining steel gleam in the darkness, and I swung out in time to match the blade of Tom, now looking at me luridly and with himself a dagger. But what didn't prepare me was falling on the piano bench and my sword dashed away as he kissed me, pinned on the wooden piano seat.

But I was stronger then him, and threw him off to be smashed into the wall leaving a bloody dent. And before he could react, I picked up my sword and stabbed it in his heart. The young fledgling immediately gave a piercing scream and turned to dust. Victory was mine. But I was interrupted by the hulking orange bat form of Brimstone crash through the wall with a large black Dracula thrashing at him madly. I leaped through the window out onto the meadow, trying to get as far away as possible while the two roared away in their. I looked around the meadow.

At least 10 werewolves or so were battling Dwergi in the field, the werewolves of course winning. From the sky, Venom was throwing her daggers at the blue and lavender bat forms attacking her in the sky. A contrast against her green form. I transformed to help her, launching upwards to slice off the tail of Rebecca.

They hovered in the air and looked down at me as I floated next to Venom. They looked at each other and it gave us two time.

"Thanks for tracking me to England, Venom." I said to her.

"Don't mention it. We both can get rid of these two brides. Say, why were you mostly stripped down there?" She said, a bit puzzled with her strong aged vampire expression.

"Well, you can guess what Dracula was trying to do. I think however, let's concentrate on killing him, shall we?" As I said that the two brides swooped at us.

"Agreed." And Venom and I parted out of the way, swinging a sword and daggers.

We tumbled throughout the air, I against Rebecca and Venom with Mica. I didn't count on Rebecca however brandishing an axe, swinging the strokes to match mine, battling me downward to the forest. My blade kept licking her skin, leaving neatly cut gashes on her arm and body. The silver however kept it from healing, and if her axe once in awhile did hack me, it healed.

Her weapon hit home, stuck in my thigh. I had no choice but to spiral downwards to try to pull it out, and I landed in the forest clearing when I had met Radu once. I ripped it out in agony, and with a scream of pain threw it at her as she dive-bombed. It successfully lodged in her head. She fell onto the ground, scrambling to rip it out of her face. With my bleeding, but slowly healing leg, I raised my sword and chopped off her head, a scream echoing through the lonely woods. A look of terror was on her face, staring at me, and then she crossed over into Hell by turning into dust.

Immediately when that happened, I heard a roar from Dracula nearby. And then I felt it too. Screaming pain of loss and suffering exploded in my mind, and I fell to the ground gripping my head to try to quell the instinctual sorrow that I and Dracula was suffering due to that by right, she was a sister. Then, the bought of pain stopped, and I panted as I stood up, fixing my bra and bloody skirt and sniffed the air.

There was a large lack of werewolf scent, and some vampires. I heard two vampire screeches in the sky, female, and Dracula's roaring up ahead. But I looked up. From the east, I heard the faint and louder sounding wing beats of vampires approaching. Silver was heavy on them, and one of them was the most evil presence I recognized. I ran for my dear life. Carmilla was coming!

I went out into the field to see Brimstone barely alive, still fighting Dracula. Both were in their human forms, Brimstone standing on the crushed body of a werewolf, aiming his bazooka at the advancing, slightly bloody Dracula. Venom and Mica were still battling above, and the Dwergi were all dead. Only 4 werewolves, one of them the red Shew, were alive, gasping while their wounds healed on the ground. And all the while, I saw dear Ruthven on the stake on the highest hill.

"Die, you damned son of Satan! Hurting me poor Anne!" Brimstone said, on of his eyes swollen shut. With blood flowing out of his mouth, he pulled the trigger of his massive gun that was at Dracula's chest.

Click.

The gun was not loaded. Brimstone, from sheer exhaustion, looked at me one final time, hacked a cough, and fell to the ground, whereupon Dracula took a silver stake from Brimstone's coat and stabbed him. He became dust.

"No…no!" I called, falling on my knees with my sword. Dracula was laughing madly as he strode over to me, pulling out a hair clip and tying his hair up, like nothing was the matter. I was frozen with the fear, and then shaking me I ran as fast as I could to Ruthven, to the wedding arch he was above. I looked back to see Dracula running after me at a leisurely pace, just keeping up with me. I ran up the hill, and looked up at Ruthven yelling down at me with tears in his eyes.

"Ruthven! I'll get you off of this!

"Anne! Dracula's behind you!" With that I turned around and pointed my sword at Dracula's chin, whereupon he dodged out of the way and was immediately behind me, holding my arms. However, he kept my weapon in my hand, while I saw werewolf Rienfield run up swaggerly the hill with Dracula's blue beady eyed dragon sword. Whereupon, he handed it to Dracula. His hands free to grasp the sword, I swirled out and the blades met in mid air. Dracula was laughing as I thought, this time I was a bit stronger then last time we fenced. But Dracula was still better then me, having around 500 years of formal training and practice. We were dashing around the impaled Ruthven.

"Ah, our first spat of our marriage! After this, you will be a bit more passive and, weaker." He said, expertly twirling around to meet my jab. "It will be much easier, so do please continue. I will enjoy this."

"Damn you! You dirty, evil, blood lusting vile fiend! I'll kill you, I'll…" I didn't have time to say the rest of the sentence, as his sword swiped my side, barely missing my bra and would have cut it off. Instead, it cut my side open and sliced some of my ribs, blood everywhere. I dropped my weapon, the world in red as I fell, holding my side. It was healing, I could feel my skin slowly sealing up again, but I was defenseless and in racking pain. The wound took most of my energy to heal. I could only gasp in my exhausted state, my eyes wide open and mouth quivering while Dracula picked me up. I only heard the pounding of my heart as it beat in internal pain, the moans of Ruthven above me that I saw staring down in my eyes, before Dracula replaced the view, and we were going downhill. I felt the presence of my sword in his hand. Coughing up a clot of blood, I waited till my body could heal before I would move, moans of pain coming from me as my broken ribs were growing back into place and my veins closed. I needed to save my strength for the final moment.

"I…I can't…Don't…touch me." I stuttered, before another spasm of pain shot through me. This time, it wasn't that painful.

"I can't just leave you here, dahling. You need to lie down in a nice, warm bed, all relaxed and held in your husband's arms." He smirked, holding me tighter as my strength was coming back. I was almost completely healed, and began bucking up and down, shivering for the first time in a great while from the cold. Hell, I was only wearing a white bra and a torn bloody ragged thin skirt. And I was barefoot.

Within a minute, we were down from the hill, and the last few werewolves were facing us, with the red Shew in the middle. All were in their normal forms. I heard Venom and Mica still battling in the forest, and what I saw in the werewolves' eyes told me what I feared.

"Count Dracula, we came here because we wanted your dust in our halls, but it cannot be so. You have beaten our clan, oh great one, and we beg for our forgiveness to leave safely and away from here and out of your great sight." The Shew said, all of them bowing before us with wounds all over their semi-naked bodies. "We hope you are and your new Shew will live together in peace." They stood up and bowed their heads, awaiting Dracula's reply. They weren't going to save me!

"Cowards!" I cried out, struggling to get out of his grip, but to no avail as my side still smarted. He held me even tighter.

"I grant you permission to leave unharmed, Blood Moon clan. Do not ever return to this land again." With that the werewolves started to climb up the hills into the woods, one of my last hopes gone. Dracula then bent down and kissed me, silencing my signs of protest. With that kiss, I was realizing how tired I was, how weak and desperate I felt. I was close to falling limp at last from the draining passion of the kiss, but thank God I didn't fall completely under his spell when bullet went through his heart.

He fell to the ground, me in his arms as he yelled out. I fell out of his hold and rolled on the grass away from him, shaking my head to get the spell out of me. I looked behind the heart-clutching Dracula to see Carl with a smoking gun in his hand, staring at Dracula standing up and then at me trying to stand up. Carl, with his overcoat whipping from the breeze against his shaggy black hair looked quite impressive I would have to say. But my side still hurt and he came to my side, lifting me up.

"Carl…" I said, pointing towards my sword on the ground and Dracula standing up and ready to strike out. But he was interrupted when he dashed out of the way when Carmilla landed.

She looked barbaric and insane, her evil purple eye pulsating while her raven black hair whipping around her dark cloaked form and silver scythe. Her ears were elongated, her fangs bared and then she stood up, staring at me and Carl that were backing away and Dracula that was too.

"Carmilla?" Dracula whispered, and Carmilla's attention was focused on him, her scythe pointing at him as she glided like a ghost towards him, deep wheezy cackles rising from her. Dracula to my surprise was looking a bit, well, shocked.

"Don't you call me by that name? You do not deserve it, miserable cretin! I was your beloved wife, until all those years ago you took more and more! You did not care for me!" She hissed, the grass rippling with each word. Curling shadow and blackness were cascading off her hunched, unearthly form. I could have mistaken her to be older then Dracula. I saw no other Order of the Dragon member however, and she was the only one present. "I have come to do what I should have done years ago. I have come to kill you, beloved. For the wrong you did me and still doing!" She yowled with a cat-like fury and launched at him. Dracula leaped out of the way just in time. This was my chance with Carl to escape, with my side no longer hurt. Grabbing my sword, we both transformed and tried to fly away, leaving Carmilla and Dracula to there little, 'spat'.

We had managed to fly to the woods when I saw Venom and Mica fight on the ground in the clearing among the ashes of Rebecca. Carl shot his gun at Mica, who painfully walked into a tree with the silver wound on her shoulder. Venom, bleeding and sweaty, with one last dagger was about to strike her heart.

"Wait!" I said, landing next to her. "I'll talk to her for a moment."

"Stupid…bride…refusing…the master…I should…kill you!" She said, clutching her wounds.

"It seems you have caused me a lot of trouble, and I think you deserve to go to hell. Die, Mica, bride of the Devil's son." With that I stabbed her, and she screamed before collapsing into dust.

"Well, that's that. She was a good fighter, and I would have died if you didn't come to my rescue, Anne." Venom patted me on the shoulder before turning around and getting ready to face the other threat in the field.

"I know what you're thinking. We either go ahead and wait for Dracula to kill Carmilla or Carmilla kill Dracula and destroy whoever is left, or we run away, leaving one of those threats behind to track us later. I choose the first one." Carl said, looking at me with a look of battle fury.

"I agree. But I would rather fight Dracula then Carmilla, as she is, well, not part of this dimension. It looks like in fact she is more powerful than him. Let's see how the battle's going." And so we ran out of the trees again, to behold the intense scene before us in the meadow.

Dracula was roaring and biting in his gruesome, black bat form with the muscled arms and wings and spikes everywhere. Carmilla was in her form too, as black as ever and with purple highlights. Her form was slim and her long black hair was extra long and seemed to have a mind of its own, moving along like a snake. Her tail was whipping and white tipped her body supple and flawless. And her eye was even worse enlarged and the only noise from her was ear splitting screeches and screams of fury as she slashed out. It was then they broke off from the fight and back to their human forms several feet away from each other. With baited breath we stood watching them as they panted at each other.

"Carmilla, you know like any bride my customs of my home country. I needed more women to complete my purpose. You could have accepted your purpose and not have left. I still love you, my beloved first wife." Dracula said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, really? What about my homeland's traditions? Did you respect that? I wanted to be as powerful as you, us two together ruling the world! But you kept my dreams of power under your belt and had me as your lowly slave! Without you I am stronger than you, as I embraced the full power want and hunger, and now look at me! Your mere glance into my eye of ultimate power causes you to shiver! You had the chance to accept me as your partner in darkness, but now you shall fall into eternal darkness, and I shall enjoy making you suffer." And without provocation from Dracula, she raised her arms into the sky in a wide arch, and screamed with a trancelike ecstasy into the heavens. We all covered our ears and tumbled to the ground, only I and Dracula standing still, listening to the incantations and trembling chants through the air, like swirling abyssal water in a stormy ocean. And I saw Carmilla transform into something all educated undead know as true terror.

Her hair grew and black curling fog enveloped her form, growing larger and larger. The wind was whipping up and above were violet storm clouds in the small patch of sky swirling around in the heavens like a whirlpool. And I saw not what I expected to be bat wings from her silky swirling form that was her, but rising up was a cackling, shifting tower like a cobra from her also shifting head that I supposed was her hair. I couldn't describe it to you, but I knew it was some form of dark energy. Her head was like a snake, and had only one eye, a deep lidless purple orb with a white center, the purple around her like a starry sky twinkling with an unknown malice behind the stars in her piercing eyes. She had towered up to a 100 feet and growing, constantly shifting her demonic form of midnight with sparkle of white stars whirling around constantly. The wind had died down, but it was still there whipping our hair and coats. The dark presence was affecting me, seeing that as she was a bride of Dracula, I was mentally connected. If she died, I would feel pain at her passing. And with my mouth now shut from being agape, I realized what I was seeing, also noticing the laughter from Dracula.

There are three forms a vampire can turn into. One, they can turn into their hellbeast forms, bat-like and can fly. Two, is they are old enough, say 200 years or more, they can turn into a ghastly fog that is only useful for slipping under doorways. And third, a demonic hell form only at the experienced vampires. It had not been seen for a few centuries. Only a crazy, absolute evil vampire would conjure this untamed essence of itself, for it was hard to control. And through the air, I heard her screams of evil shatter the very air around her. She was not of this world anymore. I looked at Dracula, now raising his hand into the air, and I saw blacker clouds growing above him. I could see that Dracula was humanities only hope to kill Carmilla. But could he?

"Lady Countess Carmilla, I see you are a strong enough to conjure your hidden, animalistic, demon form. But you are not the daughter of the Devil truly, my dearest. I am his right hand, Lady Death. I am afraid I must kill you." Dracula said, looking boldly into her deep eye as she looked down at him.

"FOOL! I SHALL SMITE YOU DOWN, FOR YOU ARE WEAKER THEN I, I SENSE IT! DIE AND YOUR BLOOD SHALL FEED MY HUNGRY SOULESS BODY!" Carmilla shrieked, only making Dracula's face seem more…unearthly.

"Very well then, Carmilla. I shall kill you myself. Prepare to see the true form of evil Satan has manifested in my hollow body." Dracula cooed softly, before he himself raised his arms in a wide arch, and to my horror he started to roar very loudly. Around him was choking black smoke and swirling flame, but more smoky then Carmilla's. We three backed away into the forest edge and hid on the ground, hoping that it would provide sufficient cover. I knew what we were witnessing was a once-in-a-life time event. I held close to Carl, my hug quelling his fears and abating my concern. I watched as the rumbling black clouds were tumalting in the sky, and Dracula's thick fiery smoke was rising up to the heavens, his maniacal laughter turning deep as a dark black shape of what I feared was a dragon snaked up into the sky, flaming demonic black wing shaped dark matter from the sides of the spiral, and on its draconic horned shaped head a single eye opened to reveal a deep, fathomless flaming orb of red with a deep, smoky blue orb inside. The demon form of Dracula opened its mouth to a ferocious roar spewing hellish flame around in the air. I was awestruck and could not move when I stood up, staring at the most evil thing that roams this earth.

Carmilla responded. She was hunched and thinner, screeching all the while and cowering backwards with her purple eye aghast in fear. She screamed and shot out a whip-like tongue that was silver, leaving in its patterns purple curls of fog. Dracula towered over her, and roared his words at her.

"BEHOLD THE SON OF LUCIFER, DEMON OF MIDNIGHT. YOU SHALL TROUBLE ME NOR MY LADY DEATH NO MORE, FOR YOU HAVE SPURNED YOUR MASTER FOR THE LAST TIME." He bellowed. The earth was shaking, and even the werewolves that had fled were no near us, trying to find comfort among the vampire friends we were to them now. While the rest of us coward in fear, I stood still, feeling a tingling presence enter through me. "MY MASTER COMMANDETH YOUR PRESENCE IN HELL, CARMILLA. I SHALL ENJOY DESTROYING YOU." And with that he lunged at her.

The battle was intense in the field, giving some space for them to not-as-of-yet destroy my house, nor did they touch the hill where Ruthven was staked, watching in utter awe. I tried not to look at the battle, for the roars and screams of sorcerer pain magically affecting their dimensional forms would no doubt affect me physiologically. Instead, I looked at Ruthven assume a look of concentration as he stared into my eyes. I could not help him without killing myself, for he was near the battle and it was getting closer to him. He looked at me very, well, assuring, like father looked when he was killing a spider in my room, or fixing my bicycle. A look that was told to me quite plainly as he telepathically whispered to me.

_Everything will be alright. I will make it better._

And when he said that, I knew deep in my heart, my hand tingling from the strength growing in Ruthven, that he was attempting something he had never done before. And holding Carl's now shaking more then ever hand, I needed him to steady myself from my now happy rising heart, and the stronger presence of power flowing through my veins. I watched as Ruthven tremblingly sang out in his deep voice while low-lying misty clouds were gathering above the hill and mist gradually was rolling off him as he arms rose to the heavens.

"Dracula! Hear me!" He called, and to my surprise, Dracula looked at him while in the midst of battle, his form entwined by Carmilla and her silver tongue. And both he and Carmilla, stopped moving, their enormous eyes staring deeply, and turning into terror as they saw what Ruthven was doing. "My master Count Dracula and my sister the Lady Carmilla, both of you want an end to each other and the vampire Anne Dracula." I hissed inwardly as he used my new last name. "And so I cannot let that happen. Prepare to die." And with that Ruthven yelled out a deep bellow with humming words of mysterious incantations, and around him raised a green mist, rising up while the loud call turned into a deep lower groan from the dark brown spiral that rose upwards. The head was bat shaped and had a huge, closed eye as he moaned upwards. It had ear shaped appendages and a short face with an open, sharp maw. And then his eye opened to reveal a large green smaller eye, wise and knowing and brimming with mist and wisdom. Ruthven opened his maw to bellow out green lightning that cackled all around. Truly, Ruthven was a formidable foe. And shooting out of his spiraling green and brown matter was the stake, and it landed into a hill near us. Dracula and Carmilla merely backed away, and if they were themselves, which they were not at all in this form, I could see a surprise among them that he could become a demon. Indeed, I didn't know he was that powerful.

"NONE OF YOU SHALL HURT MY BELOVED DAUGHTER. PREPARE TO GO TO THE HELL YOU CAME FROM, MASTERS." And so then Ruthven launched at them.

"RUTHVEN, YOUR TIME IS UP. YOU SHALL NOT GET IN THE WAY OF MY WIFE AND ME, NETHEIR OF YOU!" Roared Dracula, and his first attack was biting Carmilla at the same time as Ruthven bit her, and a scream erupted from her quivering form as it slowly dissipated and thinned into the air.

"BLASPHIMERS! THE FIRE OF EVIL AND THE MIST OF GOODNESS CANNOT COME TOGETHER AND KILL THE MIDNIGHT! DAMN YOU A BURNING, DAMN YOU A HELLFIRE PIT OF DEATH!" She screamed, the wailing shaking my very body and my heart once again hammering to the bending and breaking space around. Her spiral reached a climax, and then all of a sudden the whirl of wisp gave way. Her eye closed, and her form immediately turned into a thin pillar of dust. The wind around the two demons that bit her had the whipping wind around them, and the screamed died away as the dust blew across in the wind. The dark violet clouds then disappeared. A dead silence was around. The lady Carmilla was dead.

It was then Dracula turned his dark matter head towards the now standing firm dark matter Ruthven. Both eyes stared lidless into each other. Both had wing extensions, one of fire and one of green mist. The bat and the dragon faced each other. I feared for them. Dracula had somewhat easily killed Carmilla. Ruthven had no chance against Dracula, but Ruthven still looked tall. He was fighting for what was right. Dracula was threat to the whole of humanity and Ruthven was determined to end his reign. Master and slave started to fight before our eyes.

Ruthven with his battle cry of a scream breathed green mist over the flaming black form of Dracula, who roared and flamed him. They entwined each other and lunged at each other's vile eyes, dodging and biting, their forms shifting as chunks were ripped out and dissipated before the matter grew back. Flame burned away, mist paralyzed Dracula, but they always came back, Ruthven getting weaker and thinner. As I watched I was feeling hope rise in me.

After what seemed like hours, I started to notice the changes in me. I could feel a great power it seemed seeping and flowing through my very bones and flesh, urging my mind to say words I didn't know, words from a language that I never heard of before but understood its meaning. Trembling, I looked around at myself and gasped that I was glowing a lighter color, and I looked up at the heavens.

_God, I hope Ruthven kills him! I wish I could help, to transform and destroy my sire, my creator._ I looked up and saw to my amazement above me the clouds were opening. And I felt a presence, no, two presences around me. I shifted my gaze to my right, and I saw a misty shadow of my father, gray haired and with his dog-eared fedora and round glasses. And to my left was my mother, young with golden hair tied in a braided ponytail with a black tight jacket. They were smiling as they looked into my golden eyes before turning serious. Both their hands were on my shoulders, and the feeling of goodness was entering me. I think it was God.

_Mother, father, what can I do? I am weaker than Dracula, and he will hurt me. _I called out in my mind.

_God has given your family a great gift, Anne, my daughter. _Father spoke in his old voice kindly. _Dracula needs you to finish his purpose and this is your chance to send him back to purgatory._

_The heavenly Father has sent us back to help you complete your destiny. Your past self had failed to stop the devil that time, but now we are sure you can stop him again. Go, my little angel, do what must be done. _Mary soothed her motherly voice in my ear, a voice I only heard since my young childhood. I looked into her eyes, and both of us started crying.

_I will! God, I will not be used in such way! I WILL USE MY TRUE POWER! _And so I walked triumphantly out into the field where they were battling, while with my heart pumping wildly so I couldn't hear the yells of Carl and Venom calling out to me. I stood still, and I raised my voice loudly for all to hear.

"Count Dracula! Lord Ruthven!" I called, staring at them as they stopped and turned. Ruthven's form was shaking and small, while Dracula still towered high. Both eyes locked into mine. But I was unfazed as my physical body prepared to become an entity from another dimension. "I know what you want with me, Dracula, and you are not going to get it! No matter how hard you try, sacrificing your sanity to this demon form, or even destroying the countryside, you still have not got the hint! These past 100 years have been a waste, for God is on my side to vanquish you once and for all!"

"YOU ARE ONLY SO YOUNG, MY ANNE. HOW CAN YOU TRANSFORM TO THIS FORM? STAY AWAY FROM THE BATTLE UNTIL I HAVE FINISHED RUTHVEN, AND THEN I WILL DEAL WITH YOU. GO!" Then my arm started tingling, the commanding voices of Dracula harmonizing with the sweet heavenly calls of incantations. But I was beyond Dracula's control. I raised my arms in a circle, yelling while my voice played out the incantations that I knew was what I should use, somehow, in my steadfast mind.

_The beast within will rise tonight._

_Demon spawn will garner wings to fight._

_Hell's bells are ringing fro to toll,_

_Satan's realm shall open._

I sang unearthly, somewhat afraid at what will happen as I saw white light emit from me and surround me with the golden rays from the bright sky above me. Bright sky at night?

_Summon the full power._

_The real creature that the undead_

_Possess from the other side. _

_The shifting of the darkness_

_To be seen on the home plane._

_The flesh to be fractured mist._

_The bone will be no more._

_The hellish eye hidden from the inside_

_Shall open to see true sight._

_The plane has the soulless victim_

_That creates its other self._

_The mind of mortals will be shattered._

_The understanding of the body's mind_

_Of the spawn shall see new limits._

I was feeling…lifted. I closed my eyes as my yell escalated to a bird-like screech. My entire mind was filling with power, my whole being feeling light and powerful, and my body no more. I kept on chanting unearthly through the cry. In my closed eyes, and now what I felt was one eye, I saw clouds in my vision, of mom and dad looking fondly at me, of somehow or another a woman staring at me, with short brown hair and shining armor, and reaching her hand out.

_Joan de Arc, _I said.

_Anne Van Helsing, _she said. I took her hand, and I opened my eye.

My vision was in all the colors of the rainbow, everything so bright and different. Dracula and Ruthven were at eye level, in their shifting forms with wide, unbelievable eyes. It was then I looked down and stopped my screaming.

I was white and snake like just reared up like that. I was surrounded by white light from a patch of blue sky from the heavens. And somehow with advanced knowledge of myself I knew what I looked like. No doubt in my now glittering, wise mind that my 'head' was in the shape of an eared eagle, and my eye was like a bird, and golden, with rays of the sun's power glazing inside. And I saw from my side were angelic feather shaped light matter wings, brimming with curling wisps of golden mist edging off the white curved wings. Puzzling was that I was a bit surprised in a part of my mind, but the rest of it beamed with intelligence and expectation. I knew, somehow again, that this was what I was supposed to be. So now, I gave a triumphant eagle screech, and turned down to face my opponent Dracula, who had a hint of awe and wonder before his form flinched back to his look of anger.

"BEHOLD, DRACULA, GOD'S GIFT TO VANQUESH YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL. RUTHVEN AND I WILL MAKE YOU TROUBLE THE WORLD NO MORE. MAY YOU RETURN TO HELL!" I yelled with a calm demeanor, not at all surprised at my more angelic voice. With that Dracula towered bigger and slowly started gliding towards me, leaving a trail of burning grass. His red flaming eye stared right into my whole mind, and with fear my form trembled with indecisions. I might get killed! What was I doing? Here I was challenging the Devil's son. I backed away, leaving this time a trail of flowers.

_Do not be afraid. Use your true powers without much fear. We are with you. _Said a beautiful voice. Who was that?

_You will know when the time comes._ It said again.

With those words I returned to the present situation. I glared at the draconic Dracula who was staring long and hard at me.

"YOU ARE A FOOL ANNE. I GUESS NOW, DAHLING, I WILL HAVE TO RETURN YOU TO YOUR WEAKER FORM AND DEAL WITH YOU UNTIL THEN. PREPARE FOR UNEARTHLY PAIN BELOVED." He roared and breathed unholy flame around my white body, the pain hardly singeing me like regular fire, but like an encompassing internal burning power. It hurt and I felt my power weaken as I instinctively lunged out with my beak. I missed. Dracula instead with gleeful rumbling laughter clamped unto my exposed neck and bit into it, causing my body to scream. I could have broken out in tears if I could, the pain of power draining back to the spirit realm racking my entire matter. I turned to him to see him growl through me as he lunged back at the green lightning attacking him from the screeching weak Ruthven. With my form released, I then concentrated on myself and stared ahead at Dracula's head, and that was where I aimed my golden beams of light, searing into him. But with a quick dodge after a blast of it, he rammed into me and started entwining me, squeezing and his black fiery wings grasping me as I hit him back with the golden tipped wings of mine. But to no avail, hurt through me from his already burning presence, I could only scream out and try to shake him loose. Then his head was above mine and in a rather intimate pose unlike a demon apparition is supposed to do, he stared long and hard into me, white and gold quivering in his grasp. I was weak, and so was he, I could feel. But now I was paying attention. I must stay focused and strong, be tough and not weak, or he might take advantage of me.

"DRACULA, PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME…" Was what I could say while the grip was tighter and this time, the pain was turning into something…else?

"I HAVE NO INTENTIONS TO, MY BELOVED. IF I CANNOT BE IN YOU PHYSICALLY, THEN I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO, SPIRITUALLY." He spoke kindly in his menacing form, and I then was feeling warm and excited, and I looked down to my horror to see my body slowly starting to absorb his, and shudders of sickening delight were emitting from him as my entire form was becoming part of him. "IT WILL NOT TAKE LONG. THIS IS, IN FACT, MORE AROUSING THIS WAY."

"DAMN YOU! GOD, HELP ME! DON'T DO THIS DRACULA, LET ME GO!" I screamed out to the heavens, vainly trying to move but couldn't, his grip and tendrils of power paralyze my form with ecstasy. I must get out of this body, back to my original. Then at least I will have a chance at him!

"GET OUT OF HER DRACULA" Said a golden form of a wolf shaped vampire-demon form behind Dracula.

"WHAT?" Dracula said, withdrawing to turn around only to get his face bit, both of them staring into each other's eyes. I was still in his hold when I realized who exactly this golden haloed demon was.

_Father?_ I asked in my mind.

_Yes, my daughter, I have come from the heavens to help you. Now is your chance. _

_Thank you._

"GABRIEL? I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD FOR GOOD!" Dracula screamed.

"I HAVE BEEN SENT BY GOD ONCE AGAIN TO RELEASE MY DAUGHTER FROM YOUR HOLD. KILL HIM, NOW ANNE!" Cried out the angel Gabriel and without further ado I lunged at Dracula and bit into his neck, while he screamed in agony as he started to dissipate and transform back to his human form. But while I sunk my maw into him and Gabriel materialized back to the heavens from whence he came, Dracula poured the last bit of flame over me. The pain! Oh, I had no choice but to retreat back to my physical being or die as dust. Both of us couldn't take it. And so, wind was erupting around us as we collapsed in each other's grip, and I felt through my shattering, incanting mind and the ever growing presence of a tingling palm that we were returning to the human realm.

It was for a split moment I felt my whole being fly through space and time, and travel back into a solid mass again. I felt my great eye turn into two, my feeling weak and limp body held by hands. And then I went back into reality, refreshed and still in awe at the wonders I saw through my journey back to the real world again. With a shudder as the vision ceased, the starlight gone and only the buzzing from my mind, I opened my eyes while gripping onto the firm form that held me so comfortingly. What I saw through my blinking, weak eyes was instead Dracula holding me in his arms very close to him, his head above mine looking down at me.

What I first saw was that he hardly had any clothes on, and what was covering him was unearthly black mist curling around him, obscuring his outline and I could see through to him quite clearly. It was dissipating fast. And then I turned to what was on me, which was white mist that blended in quite well with my white skin, but alas he could clearly see, as I could him, we were naked. And I was the weaker one in the grasp while his blue snake eyes poured over my every detail. It was rather uncomfortable of course, his grasping hands now trailing over my shivering back and hips, daring to go further. But I couldn't stop his trailing hands as he pulled me closer, my freezing body from my ordeal suddenly getting warm from his heat. I grasped him, breathing hard to move my spent body away from this now becoming more intimate position. But he would not let that happen, and realizing he could hold me close with just one hand, so weak I was, he held my lolling head to him, and started kissing my jaw line, trailing downwards down my neck he exposed down my front, now becoming more indecent as the fog was dissipating that came from my body.

"Do not worry dahling. Soon the fog, traces of being turned demonic, will dissipate." He chuckled at this, my mind in revulsion as he picked me up bridal style. It was revealed then the fog was in fact disappearing, and I was bare in no time. And unfortunately, so was Dracula. I stared long a hard at Dracula, paralyzed already with weakness from the draining transformation and battle, and I sensed Dracula also a bit. But that didn't stop him as he started trudging down the battle scarred hill.

"I wish you would die, Dracula. Why can't I kill you? When will you ever give up?" I asked belatedly, trying to look away, his hands tenderly holding my head while he stroked my hair.

"I shall never give up dahling. For I have almost succeeded in fact. I would have a few minutes ago if your father, and my old enemy hadn't showed up, but I guess I will have to take you back to our room once more again to finish what we've started, shall we?" He smirked and lust was brimming in his eyes. I could not move as I looked out to see thankfully my home still standing from the battle that was nearby. But now I wish it wasn't for we were trudging towards the bedroom where my fate will be sealed. Then I saw Ruthven struggling to stand up in the corner of my eye, and in front of me was Venom racing towards me, the last of her dagger's drawn.

"Filthy bastard! Get your hands off her!" Venom yelled, and I sighed that she was attempting to save me. But before even a dagger was thrown, what I had least expected was Rienfield in werewolf form attacking her. Venom was rolling and stabbing away from us engaged with Rienfield. The slobbering mangy old werewolf was faring well to distract her from saving me. He kept on trudging ahead to the back door while I started to feel my strength come back a bit. But I was more active when his hand slipped over my front, feeling my curves and traveling downward and massaging my skin, quelling my troubled body to relax.

"Ruthven! Carl, help me!" I cried pitifully, whereupon I was answered by a silver bullet coming out of his chest, barely missing mine. Dracula stumbled, and regained his composure to turn around to face Carl, a smoking gun in his hand, trembling probably from the demonic sight and Dracula's hypnotic affect on him, as he was very young. I had hope that he could shoot Dracula full of silver, but I saw that was his last bullet through his black gun. I raised my hand and tried to pull off Dracula's spell weaving touch off my body, but he found the feeling of failed strength delightful.

"We meet again Carl. I remember your blood, so sweet for a young lover." Dracula hissed, still ignoring him while he leaned in closer to my mouth. "Do you yourself still remember those nightmares where you were getting sucked by a mysterious man? Well, those were fun times fooling your mind, wasn't it?"

"Don't touch her, count! She made me, and she loves me!" Carl growled, lengthing his claws from his black gloves.

"Hah! Loves you? She was just seeking a slave to cry on, a replacement to keep her true thoughts off me, Carl. That is why she is still a, virgin." He painfully paused on those words. It was true. I loved Carl, but not enough to experience that kind of love with him. Dracula's version of it had scared me enough to make me vow never to have sex. Ever. But with that vow, I suddenly realized after all these years what Carl was longing for. Now that I was looking at him again, I saw a different light. Those words hurt him and Carl had basically pulled back.

"What have I done?" I whimpered. My refusal for the past 40 years was like telling him that I didn't deeply love him. But do I love him that deep?

"I don't give a damn, count. I respect her promises, and what has that got to do with anything? You want her as your whore, while I want her as a wife. She is my teacher and guide through this world! And I won't let you use her for destroying the world." Carl said with renewed vigor and cocking his weapon, aiming for Dracula's heart.

"Ah, reckless love. Anne, how could you bite a foolish mortal like that? Fighting against forces 20 times stronger than him? The wise thing to do, Carl, would be to run away and stop Rienfield from killing Venom over the hill right now. Why don't you respect your master's wishes?" Dracula sneered, backing away while Carl was shaking. But then, a tendril of thought sot up my arm through my marked palm, causing commands to rule my unprepared mind. I was bucking with the pain and ideas, but it was too late. They passed over my mental wall I hastily put up and reached my center to command Carl. For indeed, I was Carl's master. I could not control myself, Dracula mind link making me reach Carl's inexperienced mind and order him!

_Carl, leave me. Help Venom, I can not bear to live without her! I will fend for myself. Go Carl, leave me! _My mind, controlled by Dracula, screeched into Carl's. I watched through pained eyes Carl grasping his head and backing up involuntarily.

"No, Anne! I can't leave you! Why are you telling me to leave?" He said, but the commands from my mind were too strong to ignore, while I was limp and a puppet to get rid of Carl. I could only watch as he blankly turned around after a fit of confused moans to run over to Venom and Rienfield, shooting and attacking all the way, completely forgetful that he was leaving me to be freely raped by Dracula. Still in his arms, Dracula started towards the house, laughing all the way.

"You monster! Fooling Carl to get what you want! I hate you, hate you!" I screamed, trying to pound my fists into him, but I couldn't with my spent body. My father had come to save me, but then he left me! How was I supposed to kill him in my weak state?

"Hush my dear, the fun will begin in a few moments." He pressed his fingers against my lips, immediately calming me. "Ah, what have got here? A delightful view of the lake. How romantic." I looked to the west to see the lake, and the willow tree with the old rope swing, and the rather large stone bench besides it. He started heading towards it with a rather fast gliding pace.

"Oh God, no!" I cried out. It was the place where I first met Radu, well, Dracula disguised like his brother Radu. We were getting closer, and what he wanted to do there was also a place of bad memories. I was betrayed in my love for the fictional vampire.

"Yes my dear, yes. Do you remember? Where for the first time you passionately kissed me of your own will? Yes, that long game I played was especially fun. Oh, how I adored your kisses, dreamed about you and your hold. That was the loveliest charade I have ever played! And you were the only one who withstood it. That style of game was how I won some of my brides, you know." We passed through the bushes past the swing and slowly we were walking towards the bench. Such memories of the passion that went in between us from our kissing were too hard to ignore now. The bench was spotless as it was before, and to my eyes I saw the moon full and perfect, the lake a mirror of beauty. But I had to pay attention to other things as he neared it. But the tears still came from the memories. If only it was Radu I was in love with, not Dracula…what I did was feed his desire to this unspeakable level, enough to go all this way to be inside me. Truly, he was only driven by lust. He was so old as to be mad enough to do this after a battle with demonic forces.

"Damn you. I'm defenseless and still you take advantage of me. What ritual could you be obsessed with to break my virginity on my wedding night? I will kill you count. I will gladly kill you." I said through my gasps of breath while he laid my weak form down on the bench. I was too weak to move, the dull throb of tiredness from my exertions keeping me still. He lay on top of me in between my legs, and I felt his want poke teasingly in between, causing me to cry out at its touch. He trailed his kisses up my naked front, his trembling hands moving over my body until he crawled up to me, nibbling my ear and finally kissing me full on the lips. His hands rested in between my cleavage, both our chests rising to lung fulls of useless air. He withdrew, wickedly staring into my eyes.

"You already are. With guilt for condemning an angel. I think I will let you go now." Dracula said huskily, now off my chest. I still couldn't move, but I felt a growing desire for blood. "No? Well, stay awhile while I feed you to rekindle your strength to feed you my desires later."

"Feed…me? What the hell do you mean Dracula?" I gulped at those words. He then lengthend his fangs and I saw them through his gleaming open mouth, before he bit into his lip. Hot black blood was dribbling down his chin, some of the hot drops dripping on me.

"No…I can't drink…don't make me…" But to no avail he lunged down and kissed me, longingly smearing the hot blood on my lips. I had no control over it, my animalistic senses making me want the blood, my stomach growling and my mind wanting the delicious life blood and the kisses. I felt my fangs grow but still with stubbornness I turned my head away from his light smooches to excite me. I wanted the blood, for it would give me strength to escape, but I would have to kiss him and pleasure him for a long while, sucking him straight from the mouth. He cupped my head and brought it to him, making me look into his deep blue eyes.

"Drink the life, my dahling, tenderly suck the life from me and feed your starving heart, waiting to beat against mine." I stared long and hard at his moving lips with the sweet smell of blood glistening on them. I sighed as I let my other side come out. I lunged for the lips and chewed on them. I latched on and let the blood flow into me, and I felt my strength return ever so slowly. He brought his hands underneath me and brought my greedy lips closer to him while I felt the power and warmth of the sweet liquid fill me. Soon I grabbed his head and without thought brought it into me, massaging his cheeks to bring the blood through his lips while I smothered him in the kisses of death. When that wasn't enough, I massaged and pushed his chest up to keep the blood flowing, my mind a parade of colors and bloodlust. Finally I paused for a few moments.

"The blood…is…the life…I want more. Give it…to me master!" I glimpsed with my barbaric mind a look of pleasure on Dracula face, a look of triumph. The master was pleased. I must please him more!

"Only a bit more and I shall then satisfy my desires Anne." He cooed through bloody lips, leisurely licking his long tongue over my bloody mouth and neck while I arched and convulsed with my aroused mind, groaning and desperately wanting him, his blood and lust at the same time. I was reveling in ecstasy as I kissed him once more, sucking tenderly before he pulled me away. Then I felt his wounds heal before he trailed his kisses down to my neck, his fangs grazing my skin.

"Feed from me master…satisfy your bloodlust." I moaned.

"Do not worry my bride; I will be satisfied soon enough." And with those delicate words he bit with utter passion into my throat, and I felt the most divine of love flow through me, and accompanied by the beating of both our hearts while he locked on. I fell limp involuntarily while he pressed me against the stone of the bench drinking slowly and sensually causing my mind to swirl in utter joy, groaning in delight. We both grabbed each other and caressed our bodies, two vampires sucking each other's blood in the most passionate of ways. He stopped and I let myself heal, our hearts both pumping very fast. Then he moved down to my chest and eagerly bit into my flesh, drinking rhythmically and arousing me. I had no cares, no worries as my mind fell into forgetfulness. There was only happiness with the master, the master who was holding me in his arms and deeply all these years cared for me. The bloody and sensational feelings only made me feel drunk and controlled. He stopped and my wound sealed up, and with no attention devoted to his grin of triumph, he crawled into position, lapping up the blood with his snake-like tongue. My marked palm was grasping his, the feeling of numbness and lust growing inside me. I then looked straight into his eyes and I saw how wonderful, how blue and mysterious his eyes were, the warmth of his breath playing on my face, his lips begging for a kiss. But as I stared at them, a flame appeared to spark in my mind. But I ignored it. Nothing could part us now! His lips upon me, and my back arching, without thinking I started to utter words in between my pleasureful moans.

"I…I…love…" I started saying as he squeezed my thighs, looking longingly into my eyes, the hidden chants of triumph at my confession coming out. And then he smirked. That was the warning bell that awoke my memories.

_What about Carl, Ruthven, Venom! I…I'm kissing Dracula, willingly and submitting myself to sleep with him! What have I done? Why did I forget?_ I thought, and I shut my mouth, horrified at what I was about to say. I did not love him! He was my enemy, my murderer, and the killer of thousands! My pause and look of mortification caused him to laugh wickedly and lean in closer, bringing my head to his to leave no escape from his lust filled, but intelligent eyes.

"Say it my dear, say the words I have so long waited to hear." He hissed in my ear, while I tried to move my arms and body to get away. But I was still weak and his strength from my blood and his heavy body and pinning arms kept me fidgeting on the bench. The moans of pleasure were now turning into despair and grunts to get away, unsuccessfully. He seemed to find it even more amusing.

"Never! The…the bloodlust made me start to say that! It is not from my heart!" I cried out with my eyes closed, not daring to see into his lusty eyes again.

"I am your master. I created your dead, unfeeling heart. Only carnal pleasure and the thrill of battle can make it beat again. My dearest bride, it is from your heart, those hollow words of ferocity and lust from the heart that is lust. The bond between us is inseparable. Since you first breathed after your death, you have always loved me." His hand pinned my arms over my head. The other held my gaze, his voice turning into commanding. "Look into my eyes, my doll, look and convince your mind it is true. You know it is."

I looked into the deep orbs again, and I took in what he said. But my strength was still there.

"Dracula, true love is different than the love you are talking about. My body…it screams to want you, but I do not love you. And I cannot accept the want, as it would take over my mind. Dracula, it isn't true!" I cried out, heightened by the arousing nibble on my neck, his hand letting my head go as he trailed it delicately on my curves.

"Well, I am sorry you can't convince yourself right now." He gleamed as he moved his head over mine. "Because if you were convinced, this would not be considered rape." The hot breath, smelling of blood, and his perspiring skin that was heavy with heat and rose perfume, was becoming too much to bear. "I will enter you slowly and passionately, for you to feel the pain and the joy you had waited all this time to feel true love." There was no space between us and his teasing kisses were causing me to fidget even more. It was like torture, a suffering I felt Dracula enjoying while he squeezed me in certain places, nibbling my body, licking the sweat off me and if I was whimpering loud he would kiss me full on the lips to seemingly drain my resistance. He was enjoying this. This was sickening and made me terrified again. Weak and trapped again on a bench, while Dracula straddled my legs, I had given up hope, except then I saw to my side Ruthven stumbling with weakness, heading over to us with anger and exhaustion in his green eyes. My heart reeled as he approached, not even caring if he was naked himself, as he turned his fists into brown claws, in rage as he lunged at Dracula, who hadn't anytime to react and only managed a surprised face before growling while Ruthven and Dracula toppled off me.

I quickly shook myself and with what was left of my strength sat up and held my chest, trying to catch my breath. Getting up, I meandered over to the willow tree, leaning against the tree to gather my thoughts while I watched Dracula and Ruthven beat each other, clawing, biting and kicking on the ground, fury in both their eyes.

"Fool! You will die Clarence, die a horrible death. You will not be able to stop me from getting her in the end." Dracula hissed at Ruthven, now both of them standing and facing each other.

"You…will…not…touch…her…" Ruthven weakly and bleeding said, his wounds not at all healing. He was dieing, and only a few more bites to decapitate him and turn him to dust. Dracula leeringly glanced over to me and smirked before slowly stepping towards him. But he turned the smirk upside down when Ruthven pulled out my golden, glowing sword. But I watched as Ruthven was trembling from the holiness emanating from the weapon. He could now barely stand, but the weapon was still a menace to Dracula, who proceeded to back away. I was relaxing in my mind while Dracula portrayed his weakness from the sword. But it was short lived when Dracula lunged out at me and pulled me to him while he glided backwards with unnatural speed through the bushes before cupping my mouth to silence my screams while he ran up into the field near my house.

"Let go of me!" I yelled beating and trying to pull his grip off me.

"Not yet, my dove, not yet." He laughed, but he stopped, and I could see why. On the hill facing us was a line of red robed, yet modern looking Vatican Holy Knight vampire hunters.

There were around 20 of them, all hooded with the traditional neck scarf with the gold cross brooch, the red robes this time had changed to a duster, with the same cross gloves only black with a gold cross. They looked tougher, and all had the same style shining guns, all pointed in our direction. This time, men and women alike were in the line, but the women were wearing a red nun like hat instead of a hood. And in the middle stepped black dressed old man, the inside of the more impetuous coat silver. He had a fedora, with plenty of silver accents. He had short hair however, the coat style, shirt and black tied out fit similar to what my father wore when hunting, but it was more modern and had lots more weapons. But I scented the smell of my old foe and friend Father Christian on him, and I saw that had his ring also. But this was not his blood son, no, only adopted.

"In the name of God, we have come to destroy you, Count Vladislaus Dragulia, and free once again the reincarnation of Joan de Arc from your demonic hold." He lifted up a rather large pointed silver cross, and in the other hand a syringe of werewolf venom. The holy order then started to surround us, the guns ready to shoot.

"Fools. Don't you see that after my neck bitten, my body shot with several silver bullets, bitten countless times by werewolves, and my transformation into a demon I am still standing? Already several times I have been interrupted in getting my reward tonight. This time, I am sure you will not be standing to get in my way to complete my task at hand." He wandered his hands over my curves suggestively just to aggravate the leader, who I sensed he was internally reeling with disgust. This hunter was disturbed greatly by vampires. And nudity.

"Well then Count Dracula. I see we will have to fight you." And so the bullets were flying, all of the guns firing off with rapid fire. I felt a few bullets imbed themselves in my thigh and side, but thankfully not my heart. But I soon realized I was not on the ground.

Dracula was winged and flying and he adjusted me to be in one arm. I myself was too weak to transform however, and Dracula dove to and fro with glee knocking the human hunters down and bleeding, once grabbing a woman and flinging her into the trees. During the fight with bullets shooting everywhere and blood splattering the grass, I pulled the bullets out of my dangling legs and stomach, and let the wounds painfully slowly heal from the infection from the silver. Soon I opened my eyes from the pain to see the leader barely standing, and we landed near them. The rest of the hunters were dead on the grass.

"So you see, Vatican, how powerful I am. No bullets have yet hit me spot on!" He laughed while the order gathered together with stakes drawn, slowly shambling towards us.

"May ask the name of Van Helsing's replacement?" Dracula asked innocently enough.

"I am the adopted son of the leader Father Christian. I am Father Jacob." He bowed mockingly before reaching his hands behind his back.

"I do not think we have been properly introduced. I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia. And you my dear friend, now that we have been properly acquainted, are now to die as a gentleman." Dropping me on the ground, he leaped over me and dove towards Father Jacob, a gleam in his eyes as in high speed I watched Ruthven in the distance throw my sword into his hands, and whereupon in slow motion I saw him plunge the sword in the heart of Dracula in flight.

My slow, watchful vision ended when Dracula screamed like a banshee, toppling over Father Jacob onto the grass with the white sword sticking out of him while he lay on his back. Pain engulfed my senses, the pain from Dracula flowing through me. But somehow, I knew it wasn't fatal. The bought of pain was subsiding somehow, as I noticed then the familiar feeling of God flow into me, letting my senses clear and my mind devoted to the task at hand.

I stood up and limped over, pausing to look at wounded Father Jacob who had managed to get a few recent scratches from the attack from Dracula when he knocked him to the ground. I kept walking, but I first stared into his eyes.

Father Jacob was dumbstruck with pain and wonder. I was feeling no pity, no pain, nothing but a feeling of power in me. Indeed, I could tell-no, spiritually sense that his eyes of wonder were from the fact that indeed, he was surprised at my aura of holiness and endurance that I possessed, acting like a gloomy vampire of darkness and perception who had a good purpose and the intention and commanding of good. But I did not think about Jacob. Instead, my mind was flashing in between the real world, which was a cool night in the field approaching the convulsing Dracula clutching a sword in his chest among the blood of the Vatican, and that of a similar scene where the blood was of a battle that was still raging in the far corner, and I was approaching instead a convulsing enemy general with my sword in him.

I stood over Dracula. Dracula was struggling to rip out the sword and was coughing up blood, the black blood from the wound in his chest. But the pain was subsiding as he slowly and painfully exerted his energy to rip the sword out with a loud groan of pain. He threw the sword away but I caught it from his hands. He stared at me with pain and weakness, and most of all anger. He kept a look of un-fazeness as he struggled to sit up, his wounds only ever slowly healing. Then to my horror he started laughing, and I instinctively backed away, holding the sword out pointing at him while he stood up, menacingly closing with his outspread hands and demeaning, vicious eyes that were reaching into my very heart, threatening to break my concentration and holy guidance from what I think is God.

"I will never give up Anne. You shall be mine and I shall live. There is no escape dahling." He cooed from his menacing pose as he slowly gained speed as I backed up the hill. The hill with the wedding arc.

"I will kill you Dracula. Tonight will be your last. You can still see me strong after all that was done to me, like what happened to you. I will never give up, for it is God's will." I spoke calmly, still trying to keep my distance. I had the sword and some of my vampire powers, but that was all. I watched Ruthven gasp for breath down the hill and Jacob wearingly stand up, pulling out a stake. But I had to pay attention to Dracula who was gaining on me, ready to leap on me. I backed under the arch with the ivy.

"You are mine!" He leaped into the air and descended in front of me, whereupon with the flashing visions of him and a flying arrow, I stabbed him.

Dracula was standing, screaming even worse than last time with the blood coming out even more. I wrenched it in his ribcage, while he clutched the glowing weapon in utter horror and pain. I let him fall to his knees while he was hacking up blood as I stood in utter darkness. I felt no mercy, no pity as I stood watching in glazed eyes. No remorse for the dying.

But I was not finished with the pitiful howling Dracula, now inching the shining rapier out of his thorax. I could sense the vibrations of pain and weakness from him. He seemed in my critical eye near his end, but the second blow from the sword did not kill him. He slid it out and gaspingly clutched his open wound and began healing the wounded flesh. But it was exerting a lot of energy to heal the holy wound. While thus, he looked up at me.

"So…I see…you are…yet still…strong." He wheezed. He started to crawl towards me with bloody hands. "But I…am stronger…still dahling." I was backing away from his pursuit. He still had the sword in his hand and flung it out of reach. I was gasping too, this time from a change of pressure around us. Morning was very soon. Both of us stopped and looked at the horizon. It was turning fuchsia, and the first rays of light were weaving across the sky.

"No…not at my moment of triumph! I can't burn while he is still alive! No!" I glanced around to see Ruthven among the trees with bewitched Carl and Venom all bloody from Rienfield, who just gave his last breath a few feet away. They were protected in the trees from the ever approaching sun. I was not. I looked in horror at Dracula, a demented expression of disbelief. But it turned into laughter.

"So, dearest, we will meet the forms of spirits. But how about a little goodbye kiss?" I had no chance to move at all when he lunged up and pulled me down to the ground, sitting on me while he passionately kissed me. Here, I felt the feelings flow through me, and I realized throughout the prolonged kiss, tongue and all, that he was afraid of death. He savored every moment, first from ecstasy to lust and finally to the climax, kisses of fear. It drowned me in all its glory but I then held myself and pushed him off. He was looking very refreshed and sorrowful. But he let me stand up, both of us at out last strength as the sun was rising higher. And I turned towards him, creeping ever closer to me but I wouldn't have it. I backed from the arc to see the long spear perched against it.

"Hmm…perhaps a little more than a kiss I would have liked, but I think I will leave now." Dracula started to limply back away and gain speed towards the trees.

"Oh, no you don't Dracula. It will end this day. Your long reign of terror and deceit will end." I looked at him calmly, but I had another plan. Dracula was weak and another blow might kill him. With the last of my strength I ran over to the stake and gripped it tight as I ran up to him, and with the blood pounding in my ears I watched him convulse as I staked him in the heart.

Dracula struggled and screamed pitifully, his face animalistic while he yelled. But I paid him no heed while I mounted the snarling fiend into the ground, impaled for all to see. But that was almost all my strength and I was trembling from the exertions while I stood.

Here was Dracula, at last getting what he should have gotten years ago. I watched him impaled and roaring, angrily screaming in Romanian before settling down, gripping the stake that was sticking out of him. I saw clearly the horror that was in his eyes, the pain and suffering he was feeling. He glared down at me with the most evil of expressions.

"When I get…down from…here, I will…make you…pay dearly…with much suffering…and pain…in the…most immoral…way…" He hissed at me, snarling with his blood dripping mouth. I glanced around to see Father Jacob and the other vampires in complete shock at the grisly sight. But I turned around to behold a sight I never though I would see for a long, long while.

Dawn broke around us, the entire land of golden beams of light rising steadily to cover the fields and the tops of the pine and deciduous trees. My mind was ablaze as I saw for the first time in 100 years the golden sun, shining greatly like a beacon of hope and…to my eyes, a vision playing in the orb of light. What I saw was the most beautiful of all things, the warmth of the sun warming my body for the first time in a long, long while. I broke from the sun's stare to see Dracula screaming his head off with convulsions of pain. His fingers were slowly turning into dust.

"Father Satan! Please, I have failed you! Don't let me go back! Don't punish me! I want to return, I want to return!" Dracula cried out. I looked at him bursting into flames with fangs bared. He looked at me with the contorted vision of pain as I felt my skin feel…warm, but not burning.

"I will return, dearest, and will find another bride. I couldn't have you, so I will get another! I WILL ENJOY FEELING YOUR PAIN AS YOU WATCH FROM THE HEAVENS WHILE I TAKE ANOTHER BRIDE! ARRGGGHHH!!!" He cried out as he burst into flame and within a few terrible moments he became limp, a form covered with flame while he turned to dust. Then I felt myself burn.

But there was something in the burning, the blistering flame that was starting to crackle my skin. It was somewhat painful, but I was distracted when I saw the longing in Carl's and Venom's eyes as they cried and mouthed the words 'I love you.' I was dying, and I saw Jacob hold out a cross and say a prayer. It seemed he knew the holy importance of this. But my heart soared while I started feeling the pain of the flames igniting my body.

Ruthven was running, afire also, to my side whereupon he hugged me. Never before did he hug me like that. It was a grasp of death, the grasp of the enviable and through my bitterness; I hugged him back, crying what was left of my moisture.

"Ruthven…I never thought I would see you again." I cried while my emotions were flowing out of me while I tried to ignore the pain, the pain of death burning me.

"Anne, why must you die? Dracula is dead, and you could have left to the safety of the trees. But it is too late for you. It isn't fair!" Ruthven bawled as he burned and his tears turned to steam.

"I must go and see my father. It is my destiny to burn. I have lived long and suffered terrible things. Now I go meet the father and do my duty as Joan de Arc. My work is finished here on earth." I said these things, the clearest words I had ever spoken. For then we both screamed as we became infernos of heat, and I looked towards the bright, fiery sun, in all its golden splendor and flaming wonder, and that was when I saw myself, with shaven head tied to the stake, burning and feeling the fire eat at my limbs and scream in horror while my skin melted off. It was just like reality, where I hugged him while we rolled on the ground, both of us with horrible pain as we were being burned alive, but my eyes stayed open as I stared at the sun.  
Blackness was creeping in my vision. God, it hurt like never before. _Here will I die, and see my beloved parents and know all truths, and Dracula will never rise again, _I feverishly thought. Those were my last thoughts in my form on Earth. The rest was my life flashing in front of my eyes. It was at a fever pitch, in between glances of my childhood and death, and my body as Saint Joan burning at the stake. I saw my experiences with the Order of the Dragon and when I was a French peasant girl. Of my short relationship with Radu, and fighting from my white horse. Of the werewolf clan with Ruthven and facing the judges who were condemning me to the stake. Of the wedding and the horrible torturous aftermath, along with burning on the stake. Yes, indeed it was my life and my past life that were coming fully to me now. But then I closed my burning eyes while I couldn't help but scream as I felt myself in the middle of the inferno. Then I heard them as I fell to grave.

_It will be over soon my baby. _Said my mother.

_Do not worry; I will see you again soon. _Said the comforting voice of my father.

_I long to see you again my dear Anne. _I would have gasped if I could. It was Hector.

_I'm so proud of you. I have watched over you since you were born. _Mr. Seward! He was whispering to me too!

_I'm here with you Anne. I am dead in your arms, but I am here in heaven! Come to the light! _Ruthven, oh no, he must have died. But I am still barely here on Earth.

_Ga on, let a' go what ya have on Earth. _Brimstone!

_Leave this realm. You are need to rest up with God. _It was Father Christian.

_Joan de Arc, you are needed to complete the soul of Joan de Arc here in heaven. Your purpose has been fulfilled. Reap the rewards. _It was the deep heavenly voice again, of yet I had the wonderful notion of who that was.

_Come, my reincarnation. Come join us and see the secrets of the world. See me for what you are. _It was my voice…but it wasn't. She sounded much wiser and kinder. _The future waits for you. You miss the sun. Come and finally live in it at last after years of suffering and growth. Let go, let your body die again and your soul leave to live in life at last. _

_No, angel Joan de Arc. I want to live, to love my Carleton, to see my friend Venom again, know Father Joseph at least. I want to live! _I screamed in my head while the pain was escalating.

_Anne Van Helsing, you were never alive. You can help them from afar, protecting them with your newfound winged aura. Let your soul leave and find us._

_I…can't…I have been fighting all my life. The world needs me to protect the innocents!_

_Let go. You have been rebelling all your life. Sometimes, it is okay to let go. To them if you refuse death, you will be a wraith and bitterness will change you. Do you want to know your heritage?_

_I…I…yes. _I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and with my will I started went to it, how I didn't know. But in a few painful moments the pain ended when I went through into the blinding light. And then what I saw was the meadow around me in vision more enhanced than ever before. I seemed to be floating above the grass, and I looked down to see two piles of ash and embers, still smoldering. The sun was a bit higher, and I saw the dust around where Dracula was staked. Father Joseph was standing over the piles, reading tearfully from the Bible the Lord's Prayer while Carleton and Venom were crying under the cover of the trees. It was then I floated towards Father Joseph, whereupon he paused and stared wide-eyed into me.

_Thank you for reading over my remains. _I seemed to say, whether or not he heard it as a voice or phantom whisper. _Keep fighting for the good of God._

Somehow or another I was getting wiser and…calm. Indeed, I did feel wonderful and good, something I had not felt truly for years. I floated over in the mists of the dew and sunbeams, over towards where Carleton and Venom were weeping. But they looked up with some sort of confusion to see me as a ghost in the sunlight.

"Anne…is it…you?" He sniffed, reaching his hand to pass through my transparent body, and recoiled in fear that it passed through.

_Yes, my love. Please be strong, and I will be always in your heart watching over you. _I said, and I felt myself change. He nodded in disbelief, but I knew he saw what he was seeing. Then I turned towards Venom.

"Anne, I can see you. I hope zat you will find rest up in heaven." She looked at me with knowing eyes. She was older than me by far with plenty of acquired wisdom, but she held back her powers often and still acted more human. This time, she had broken down, crying whilst she tried to reasonably talk to me.

_Watch over Carleton for me. Live your lives in peace, let the vampires live in peace until there is a force that rivals what was Dracula's reign of evil. Go; weep no more for me, for I go into the realm of all that is. Someday, I will see you, and help your journey into the realm of light._

I turned around and gasped. I was inexplicably drawn over what appeared to be a stair case that was leading, well, up into the sky. It was a symbol of one, a ray of sun from the clouds that obscured the morning sun somewhat. I seemed to ever slowly float up the solid, but not solid, road to heaven. I felt really good, so relaxed and filled to the brim with hope, love, and wisdom. It was until I reached the top, right before my spirit passed through, when I looked down onto the world.

I saw my home, the town of Purfleet, the ocean, and the meadows and forests around my home. I was seeing them in golden and lighted vision since a hundred years. No more the darkness lit and gave the world shadow, only glittering from the stars and the illumination of the moon. It was enough, right then and there; I cried the tears of a spirit, while I rejoiced in my mind the forever after I would be able to see the true green of the leaves and grass, the pale pink of the wildflowers, the vibrant white of the homes and the doves that were living in the forests. I saw clearly the lapping waves of the deep blue ocean far off, and the little red, blue, and green specks moving in the vibrant English town I had lived in that were cars. Yes, it was beautiful, and I would see this scene and much more every day of infinity. This death was even better then my first.

_Come to us Anne. Come and enjoy your days in peace. _Said the murmurs of voices I knew were my old friends and family that were dead. I saw them around in the swirling mists as golden orbs. I then felt that I was changing into one of them. I was here at last.

_The secrets of the world are yours to know. You have done your duty unto God, and you shall help the next saint that will defend the world against evil. _Said the wonderful holy voice.

_Yes, I have done my job. _

_Anne Van Helsing, now we can share with you the knowledge of everything, and I can tell you of my past that you share. _It was Joan de Arc, floating before me.

_I will like that. Tell me of the ancient secrets and goodness of the world._

The two angels and the rest all went up the pillar of cloud and into the depths of space and time, of life and death. The family was reunited, and the heavenly voice spoke of the goodness and truth of all that was and is, and will become.

And in the meadows, two turtle doves flew into the sky.



I no longer felt pain, but I knew I was very close to death. I had failed them all, my French countrymen, and left them with no king. How could I go to heaven when the priests burned me as a witch!

_Go to the light, for you will go to heaven. You will finish your work later Joan de Arc, saint of the Lilly. _It was the heavenly voice of God, I could tell. Was this the final time he would tell me what to do, how to do God's will on the world? I must obey, and I died.

It appeared before me, a dark tunnel with a light at the end. Here it was the chance to see God at last! I felt myself float up, my life flashing before my eyes, and let the feeling of the Father flow into me. I managed to pass into the blindness. No more was the white then destroying my vision. It gave me anew.

I looked down the tunnel, only to see the town, the green of the grass, the blue of the sky. And below me was an inferno with a dark shape afire, and people fighting in the streets. My French people, the peasants of France were rebelling against my death, but I wished I could console them. They will get their freedom, soon, and I will see the king crowned.

_God, why did I have to leave? They need me!_

_The world has been enshrined with the rule of the Devil. He has made it so for your time to end. But it will not be so._

_I will return? How soon my lord?_

_When the demon threatens the world again and my holy family on this material plane needs help and destiny. You will come again._

_Thank you. _

I floated heaven ward and entered the realm of space. The beauty of the stars amazed me, and so here it was I will gain wisdom and knowledge. I will be an angel! And I will avenge the Devil!



And so it ends her saga of her life, of death, suffering, patience, beauty, and wisdom. But her child in darkness reigns alive with the wise warrior woman, and the wolf queen takes in her heart the protection and begins an undead alliance unheard of. The warrior two will live onward for a long while, living with god though they were condemned. The serenity of life has found them.

The ashes of the battle, of the father and the daughter, have been locked away into the case of silver. The lord man of confusion has reached heaven, and his body is laid next to his granddaughter's grave. But the woman of light has her dust in the bowels if the home, where the peacefulness of the fledgling and warrior live forever more.

But the dust of the vile has blown in the wind, but it is not needed not bring back his dead. The devil's son has no need of the physical that needs to bring the demon to this world. Soon the darkness will come again, and blood shall be spilt. But no need of the saint of the Lilly. Another warrior will take her place on Earth and that saint shall be reborn to finish its new assignment. Always will God seek to get rid of the power struggle. Blind is the world to this fact. But the new light will find a way whether in a few days of the evil awakening or years from then, to destroy and send back the attempt of destruction.

The silence of good will end. A new day will dawn soon, and old fiends shall always, resurface. Never will they die. Never.

The End


End file.
